Top Disease Fighters

A healthy immune system is a by-product of a healthy lifestyle — regular sleep, a healthy diet, no smoking, exercise on a regular basis and good stress-busting mechanisms all contribute to your health. However, nutrition plays a particularly important part in maintaining immune function, and insufficiency in one or more essential nutrients may prevent the immune system from functioning at its peak. So here's what can you offer your immune system to help fight disease:

• Carotenoids act as antioxidants that kill invaders.

• Vitamin B6 promotes the production of white blood cells.

• Folates increase white blood cell activity.

• Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and raises antibody levels.

• Vitamin E stimulates immune responses.

• Selenium is an antioxidant that attacks invading bacteria.

• Zinc promotes healing and offers defense against the common cold.