Will Diet & Exercise Do You Some Good Against COVID-19? Health Physician, Dr. Abidemi Shabi Answers
A General Health Physician, Dr. Abidemi Shabi, has now urged Nigerians to eat a more balanced diet and engage in more exercises in order to boost their immune system to fight infections and other ailments.
As global and local apprehension continues to grow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world, one thing is clear – there are survivors who have recovered from the deadly disease amid claims that a strong immune system may be the difference between many who have survived and those who haven’t.
Shabi in an interview with a PUNCH correspondent said, although there was no drug for COVID-19 at the moment, people could build their body immunity with regular exercises and eating of a balanced diet.
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He said,
“The logic about building the immune system is to stay healthy; one needs to be healthy to be able to fight diseases. Being healthy is about eating balanced diet, and engaging in regular exercises.
“It is not as if there is any magic in boosting the immune system of the body; there is no medication people must take to boost the immune system.
The phrase had been used for too long by so many people and the truth of the matter is that different people with different age groups have a different immune system.
We must, however, note that children and elderly people have a lesser immune system compared to youths.
It doesn’t matter what a child or a pregnant woman, for example, take that will make their immune system to be stronger than that of youths.
Having a strong immune system is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and this has to do with diets, exercise.”
He advocated a 30 minutes exercise daily or between four and five hours of exercise weekly, urging people to eat more vegetables and fruits.
“People should drink enough water, take vegetables and fruits; they should avoid sickness as it generally weakens the immune system, it doesn’t give humans enough strength to wage war against infections. People have a normal immune system when they are not sick,”
Shabi said.