Back to school: Immunity boosting foods and herbs for young children

In the face of the coronavirus, many of us worry about our elderly parents and young children as they belong to the more vulnerable groups.

And now that the kids are heading back to school with Phase 1 of post-circuit breaker kicking in, it is inevitable that parents are concerned over their children’s health and safety. 

With younger kids generally having a weaker immune system, what can parents do in learning how to increase immunity in their kids and against the possible coronavirus attack? 

Eat these foods to increase immunity in young kids

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, adhering to certain diets can help improve a child’s immunity, according to Dr Wu Shi Yu in an interview with ‘Living Well’ on Shin Min Daily.

But whether it is during or post-pandemic, Dr. Wu advises parents to abide by the rules of ensuring “nutritional balance” in their child to protect the spleen and stomach.

Recommended foods: 

• Consume a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables (especially vegetables that are white or orange in colour)
  • White veggies, e.g. Chinese cabbage, winter melon
  • Orange veggies, e.g. Carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, as well as various fungi and whole grains
• Food products containing quality protein 
  • e.g. Eggs, lean meat, beans, dried fruits
• Drink yoghurt in moderation – to help maintain gut health
• Drink plenty of water

Chinese herbs for children's immunity

Dr Wu also recommends that children take some Chinese herbs in moderation to strengthen their immunity.

“Medicine and food are related. They are food as much as they are medicine. Besides, most of their medicinal properties are milder and the taste is more acceptable for children.” 

Recommended Chinese herbs

• Codonopsis 
• Jujube or Red dates
• Huai shan (Chinese yam)
• Astragalus
• Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome
• Qian Shi
• Coix seed
• American Ginseng
• Wolfberry
• Longan meat

Foods to avoid as they weaken the immune system

While there are foods that are recommended, certain diets can also weaken the immune system of children, according to Dr Wu.

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There might have been increased snacking at home during this #StayHome period but moderation is key in keeping the children healthy.

The local TCM practitioner recommends consuming less of these foods: 

• Sweet food or snacks (e.g. donuts, sweets and chocolate)
• Fried, greasy, spicy and cold food
• Excessive supplements 

While these are some ways to increase immunity in children, having good personal hygiene is the best way to keep the viruses away. 

It always helps for parents to remind little ones to clean up litter and wash their hands frequently to be on the safe side.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.