Dr Hinds: No 'superfood' to cure covid19

While certain foods may be used to improve the response and resilience of one's immune system, there is no one food that can be used to defend against infection with covid19 altogether, according to epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds.

Hinds responded on Monday to questions from reporters during the Ministry of Health's covid19 update, in which he stressed the importance of a healthy, balanced diet for boosting one's immune system.

He warned that there was no supplement that could be used to definitively guard against infection and urged the public not to engage in risky behaviour.

"What we don't want people to go away with is the idea that taking some one particular supplement is going to protect them against potential covid19 infection. That's what we're concerned about.

"Yes, some things may help your immune system to respond better in general, but those things do not guarantee any special protection against covid19,"

Dietitian for the South West Regional Health Authority Kyrie-Aartie Homer-Kimraj agreed with Hinds' explanation and encouraged the public to chose organic, locally grown foods that could improve their immune response.

"You want to 'eat a rainbow,' and that includes a wide variety of locally grown fruits, bearing in mind each colour contains a specific nutrient in the form of an anti-oxidant, vitamin or mineral that can all help towards nourishing your immune health and making you healthy

"Reducing your intake of processed foods and incorporating more naturally grown foods can put you on your way to maintaining good immune health."