Rains, relief and immunity

Karan Vir Khosla

As temperatures soar, everyone eagerly looks forward to the arrival of the monsoon. The skies open up bringing rains and respite from the scorching heat. But with cooling relief comes a host of unwanted problems, too, in the form of flu, fevers, infections (bacterial, viral & fungal) and the two most common but neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), dengue and chikungunia. Every season there is large number of individuals who get affected with dengue and chikungunya. These NTDs are a growing health threat to the public at large.

While we can’t do much about the rains, we can certainly beat the bugs by improving our digestion and strengthening our immune system. So, here are some specific guidelines regarding how to fight monsoon diseases by boosting our immunity. 

Safe water and plenty of fluids

With rains, water-borne infections like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and diarrhoea are also on the rise. Besides general hygiene and precautions in food preparation, quality of water also needs to be regulated. Unfortunately, most tap and well water is not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. A good water filtration system installed in our home is the only way to monitor and ensure the quality and safety of drinking water. Water from community water system can definitely be treated / purified at home by either of the processes — boiling, chemical treatment, filtration or reverse osmosis. Boiling water kills most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present in it.

Drink boiled and filtered water to avoid water-borne diseases and try to drink warm beverages. A piping hot bowl of soup not only helps you keep healthy and hydrated but also warms you up on a cold, rainy day. 

Patients suffering from monsoon illnesses must have plenty of fluids, including coconut water, lemon water, vegetable juices, fruit juices, soups and oral rehydration solution to replace losses from fever and vomiting. Herbal and green tea and/or mint or ginger tea is also beneficial. 

Spice it up

A number of plant extracts, isolated compounds, essential oils and seaweeds have shown promising anti-viral, larvicidal and insecticidal activity against some mosquito vectors as well as anti-chickungunya and dengue properties. 

Extracts of digestive spices such as carom seeds (ajwain), cumin (jeera), black pepper (kali mirch), fennel (saunf), ginger (adrak), turmeric (haldi) and kokum are some of the plants that can boost immunity. Herbs that boost immunity protect against viral and bacterial infections include amla, tulsi, giloe, neem, papaya leaf, garlic and aloe-vera. 

Probiotics and prebiotics

Probiotics are the good friendly bacteria which when administered in adequate amounts promote the body’s natural immunity, help in digestion and maintaining good health. Good sources of probiotics include yogurt, buttermilk (chhaachh), lassi and kefir (thin drinkable yogurt). In commercially available varieties the cultures may not be live; however, special probiotic drinks and foods are commercially being formulated with live cultures.

Prebiotics are substances found in other foods that feed the probiotics (beneficial micro-organisms present in the gut) and in a way it’s the “probiotic’s food”. Good sources include whole grains, pulses, beans, vegetables, fruits and seeds.

Keep your immune system healthy to enjoy this most awaited season. Have a good diet, plenty of exercise, yoga, adequate rest, sleep and stress control and enjoy the rains.

—The writer is the CEO, Theweightmonitor

A good diet

The simplest way to boost immunity is by following a  well-balanced and nutritious diet — comprising a variety of foods, healthy grains, adequate calories, whole grains, pulses, fresh and green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy, fatty fish and healthy fats — which is crucial for good immune function. Darker the colour of fruits and vegetables, more concentrated are these the sources of anti-oxidants (disease-fighting nutrients), which fortify the immune system and make us less susceptible to seasonal infections and allergies.

As the rains bring down the temperatures, these also bring along the temptation to savour piping hot pakoras and other such fried stuff. But that is a temptation we must avoid and keep our diet light and easily digestible, and stay away from rich oily and spicy food. We should avoid eating at roadside food stalls and preferably prepare fresh and hygienic food at home. 

Besides a healthy well balanced diet, the nutrients which build immunity include beta carotene, B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E and minerals, including selenium, zinc, folic acid, iron, copper, and magnesium. Prebiotic and probiotic foods also enhance immunity and improve our digestion.