Important dietary sources of nutrients that support the immune system
| Nutrient | Good dietary sources |
| Vitamin A (or equivalents) | Milk and cheese, eggs, liver, oily fish, fortified cereals, dark orange or green vegetables (eg, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, kale, spinach, broccoli), orange fruits (eg, apricots, peaches, papaya, mango, cantaloupe melon), tomato juice |
| Vitamin B6 | Fish, poultry, meat, eggs, whole grain cereals, fortified cereals, many vegetables (especially green leafy) and fruits, soya beans, tofu, yeast extract |
| Vitamin B12 | Fish, meat, some shellfish, milk and cheese, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, yeast extract |
| Folate | Broccoli, brussels sprouts, green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, cabbage), peas, chick peas, fortified cereals |
| Vitamin C | Oranges and orange juice, red and green peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, kiwi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes |
| Vitamin D | Oily fish, liver, eggs, fortified foods (spreads and some breakfast cereals) |
| Vitamin E | Many vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, wheat germ (in cereals) |
| Zinc | Shellfish, meat, cheese, some grains and seeds, cereals, seeded or wholegrain breads |
| Selenium | Fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, some nuts especially brazil nuts |
| Iron | Meat, liver, beans, nuts, dried fruit (eg, apricots), wholegrains (eg, brown rice), fortified cereals, most dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale) |
| Copper | Shellfish, nuts, liver, some vegetables |
| Essential amino acids | Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and cheese, soya, nuts and seeds, pulses |
| Essential fatty acids | Many seeds, nuts and vegetable oils |
| Long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) | Oily fish |
DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid.