Eat to your health

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Feb, 2004

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO CATCH ANY COLD or flu bug that comes along while others never seem to get sick? One reason may be the vitamin and mineral content of their diets. When researchers at Bowling Green State University in Ohio compared women under the age of 50 who rarely got sick with those who had colds or flu three or more times a year, they found that the healthier women had higher levels of vitamin A in their blood.

"Vitamin A is associated with immunity," says Rebecca S. Pobocik, PhD, RD, an associate professor of nutrition and one of the study researchers. To increase your chances of fighting off a bug, get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, advises Pobocik, and put the emphasis on good sources of beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A): carrots, orange squash, red peppers, watermelon, broccoli, spinach and green peppers. Milk and eggs are also good sources of A.