Extra vitamin E can protect against pneumonia

New York, Dec 17: A little extra intake of vitamin E can help regulate an ageing immune system, protecting the body from a bacterial infection that commonly causes pneumonia, a research has found. Sunflower seeds, tomatoes, mangoes, and kiwis are rich sources of vitamin E, among other foods. "A growing body of research suggests vitamin E could make up for the loss of immune response caused by aging," said co-senior author Simin Nikbin Meydani from Tufts University, US. People, aged over 65, are at a high risk for developing pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs typically caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The study appeared in The Journal of Immunology.