How Healthy Diet and Supplements Protect From COVID-19?

A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, led by Philip Calder has published new study findings that following a healthy diet and taking dietary supplements daily can save people from COVID-19.

A diet that has a mixture of natural vegetables and fruits, as well as seeds, pulses, meat, and dairy, contain all necessary vitamins and minerals requires for a healthy body and a functional immune system. However, it might not be possible for a person to eat all these ingredients. They can use dietary supplements alternately. Also, there are some nutrients that can not be obtained from food sources including certain minerals, vitamins, and even omega-three fatty acids. Luckily these nutrients are available in dietary supplement form which can be used along with healthy food.

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The current coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of people to lose their life which is the second time after the seasonal influenza epidemics that a respiratory infection is killing people.

One thing that medical experts have observed that coronavirus is most dangerous for people with low immunity. So, a healthy immune system naturally protects the body from a viral attack, and this immunity is based on daily nutrition obtained from food sources.

While the new vaccination programs would save people from getting coronavirus, there is something that could reduce the risk of catching it. most of the times people ignore the significance and role of diet in pathogenic attacks and immunity. Considering there is no vaccine developed to this day, the only way to save yourself from coronavirus pandemic is to follow the precautionary measures including the dietary changes. That is why public health authorities are calling out and suggesting people to follow the healthy diet plan.

Philip Calder teaches Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton. He said; “The strength of somebody’s immune systems will not influence whether they get coronavirus; handwashing and social distancing are the best ways to avoid that. However, the immune system helps the body deal with the virus if they are infected and what we want is a system that functions properly when it’s challenged with bacteria and viruses.”

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Calder recommends eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and not canned and frozen food items. Natural food has a high amount of nutrients and fiber which supports healthy metabolism and immunity. It re-creates the microbial balance inside the body and prepares the body to protect itself from any pathogenic attack.

The study also recommends eating fish which is a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for the body to function and it also improves the immune response of the body. Lastly, the research team also recommends eating meat which has a high amount of vitamin B12 and iron in it.

In case any person doesn’t consume these essential food groups, he can take dietary supplements loaded with these nutrients. Another popular choice in dietary supplements, in addition to these standard supplements, is “probiotics”. The probiotic supplement ensures a healthy and functional gut with a perfect balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

Calder further explains that this current coronavirus pandemic has given us a message that relying on vaccination alone is not sufficient and we might need more than these vaccines. It is essential to improve the natural immunity whether or not coronavirus pandemic ends. By improving what are we fueling to our body, we can reduce the chance of getting infected with a number of pathogenic microbes including the viruses i. e coronavirus. Therefore all public health offices should encourage people to take care of their diet and add essential nutrients either way.

**Note- The study report is published on the Preprints website and waiting for a peer review.