From: Functional food: complementary to fight against COVID-19
Type | Daily recommended intake in adult individuals (19–50 years) | Sources of functional food | Features | Functions | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vitamin A | 900 μg/day for men, 700 μg/day for women | Eggs, fish oil, fish liver, milk, corn, yam, sweet potato, carrot, lima bean, sorghum, green soybeans | Antioxidant, fat-soluble | Helps in antibody response (particularly IgA); develops type 1 and type 2 helper T cells; prevents cancer by protecting DNA from damage by free radicals; maintains epithelium of the cornea; acts as a precursor to visual pigments | |
Vitamin B6 | 1.3Â mg/day for both men and women | Potato, white rice, chicken, beef, grains, legume, fish, non-citrus fruits, banana, onion, pineapple | The enzymatic cofactor, water-soluble, highly reactive during phosphorylation, confer some antioxidant properties | Involved in the maturation of lymphocytes; required for the synthesis of antibodies and cytokines; enhances immune response; could potentially reduce hypertension; required for the metabolism of amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids | |
Vitamin B12 | 2.4 μg/day for both men and women | Beef, whole milk, egg, shellfish, turkey, mutton, soybean, tea drink, fish sauce, fermented fish, cheese | The enzymatic cofactor, water-soluble, may potentially confer antioxidant properties | Required for synthesis of antibodies and cytokines; involved in erythrocyte maturation; benefits cardiovascular system through the reduction in homocysteine; needed for healthy bones; increases the abundance of cytotoxic T cells | |
Folate | 300–400 μg/day for both men and women | pasta, bean, green salad, orange juice, peanut, spinach, lentil, parsley, beets, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts | The enzymatic cofactor, water-soluble, reduced form has similar antioxidant property as Vitamin C and E | Regulates immune response by type 1 helper T cells; improves the cytotoxic function of NK cells; needed by regulatory T cells in the small intestine; methylates cytosine in DNA; produces purines and pyrimidines | |
Vitamin C | 90Â mg/day for men, 75Â mg/day for women | Guava, oranges, lemon, broccoli, papaya, red bell pepper, pineapple, blackberry, black currant, strawberry, tomato | Enzymatic cofactor, water-soluble, antioxidant | Boosts collagen production; promotes differentiation of B and T lymphocytes; eliminates pathogens and assists in the production of antibodies; involved in vasodilation; protects DNA from oxidative damage | |
Vitamin D | 15 μg/day for both men and women | Egg yolk, tuna, mushroom, soy milk, cow milk, sardines, orange juice, salmon, eel, cod, butter | Antioxidant, Fat-soluble | Helps to stimulate an innate immune response; enhances antigen processing; supports differentiation of monocytes to macrophages; maintains calcium concentration in extracellular fluid; required for strong bones | |
Vitamin E | 15Â mg/day for both men and women | Sunflower seeds, asparagus, shrimp, avocado, olive oil, almond, raspberry, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, carrot | Antioxidant, Fat-soluble | Increases IL-2 levels; protects the body from oxidative damage; metabolizes arachidonic acid; stabilizes lipid bilayer of cell membranes; regulates protein kinase C |