Study claims you can dodge COVID-19 with diet

Washington: Almost a third of coronavirus cases could have been prevented if people had a healthy diet that included lots of fruits and vegetables, according to a new study.

While getting vaccinated and wearing a mask is paramount indoors and in crowded spaces, research, published in the journal Gut, suggests that eating properly may reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19, reported the Jerusalem Post.

The study, led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, found that people with healthier diets had a 9% lower risk of contracting the virus than people with poorer diets.

Those who ate healthier were 41% less likely to develop severe symptoms.

Although doctors have said that metabolic conditions, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, can lead to serious complications from coronaviruses, this study is among the first to add nutrition to the equation, according to the report.

Previous studies have suggested that poor nutrition is a prevalent trait among groups disproportionately affected by the epidemic, but data on the link between diet and the risk of catching the virus and then developing severe symptoms does default, said study editor Jordi Marino, doctoral student. and instructor at Harvard Medical School.

The team analyzed data collected from 592,571 people in the US and UK between March and December 2020. Each participant completed a survey of their eating habits, with the study authors noting “the quality of the food. ‘diet’ of people, with an emphasis on the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

During the follow-up period, 31,831 participants developed Covid-19.

Researchers have also observed a cumulative link between poor nutrition, increased socio-economic deprivation, and the risk of Covid-19.

People who live in poor neighborhoods and rely heavily on fast food are much more susceptible to the virus.

Models estimate that nearly a third of cases of the virus would have been prevented if one of these two conditions did not exist, Marino explained.

Researchers called for making healthy, plant-based foods more available and affordable to help advance the end of the epidemic.

“Our results are a call to governments and to those developing protocols to prioritize healthy eating and well-being with influential policies,” said Marino.