3 common foods with proven anti-viral properties

Team Udayavani, Apr 21, 2020, 6:21 PM IST

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed several lives across the world. Although there is no known cure for the pandemic, there are lots of studies out there on the anti-viral properties of many common foods which can help boost immunity.

Here are three common foods with anti-viral properties

Berries

Dark blue and purple colored berries contain unique anti-oxidant compounds that have been found to have potent anti-viral properties in scientific studies. According to research conducted by the University of Auckland, consuming flavonoids, a class of antioxidants found in blueberries, made adults 33 percent less likely to catch a cold than those who did not eat flavonoid-rich foods or supplements daily.

Green tea

Green tea contains a group of flavonoids called catechins, which appear to inhibit viral infections by blocking the enzymes that allow it to reproduce. In 2011, Japanese scientists discovered that schoolchildren that regularly consumed green tea had much lower chances of catching the seasonal flu.

Citrus peels

Scientists claim that a strong anti-viral activity associated with a compound called Tangeretin which is a flavonoid anti-oxidant is found concentrated in the peel of the citrus fruits. Tangeretin is found in most citrus fruit peels, including oranges and grapefruits. It is said that, Tangeretin both inhibits the entry and blocks the fusion of several varieties of viruses.