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Some Nigerian researchers have disclosed that consumption of some fruits and vegetables can help improve immune tolerance and response to the novel Coronavirus disease.

Ganiyu Oboh, a Professor of Food Biochemistry and Toxicology, who led the team, made the disclosure in an interview with Journalists on Thursday in Akure.

The researchers, who mentioned African star apple-(Agbalumo-Cherry), guava and cashew, said the fruits have highest radical scavenging ability and antioxidant property.

Oboh urged people who wanted to boost their immune system and fight off opportunistic infections to eat more of the three fruits.

He said it had been established that fruits and vegetables were rich in dietary sources of various immune-boosting natural chemicals.

According to him, vitamins and minerals, as well as non-nutrient phytochemicals, including carotenoids, polyphenol and flavonoids, flavones and flavanones, should be consumed more.

”In our findings, we rank these thirteen common fruits: banana, carrot, avocado pear , pineapple , pawpaw, guava ,tomatoes, African star apple ,watermelon, orange ,cashew, soursop , breadfruit, based on their antioxidant property,” he said.

According to Oboh, the team also reported that quercetin is present in all the fruits, while gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, rutin, and chlorogenic acid can be found in other phenolic constituents in most of the fruits.

The professor said that the substances could have profound effects on cellular growth and differentiation, and were needed for the optimal functioning of the immune system.

He said their findings indicated that all the fruits exhibited high antioxidant property as exemplified by their radicals scavenging abilities.

Oboh urged Nigerians to also cultivate the habit of eating vegetables regularly because of their antioxidant property and health benefits.

He said that several studies had demonstrated that a high intake of fruits and vegetables could minimise systemic inflammation.