Does Diet Really Help Against COVID-19?
It’s been almost 15 months since the COVID-19 was diagnosed for the first time in China. Since then, it has spread all across the globe and has cast serious effects on both, the health and economic status of the whole world. This rapidly growing disease left everyone in search of a solution for this unexpected pandemic and it became the question of the year, “what can really help against COVID-19?”
Although a couple of vaccines have been developed and are being transferred to the different regions of the globe, the precautions that were issued by the World Health Organization, are still in the recommendation to avoid any serious consequences. One of those recommendations was to go for a healthy diet; a diet comprising of almost all food groups but in moderate proportions, but did that really help?
Role of diet in COVID-19
It is very clear that a healthy diet does help in keeping a person’s health in shape but people have clearly mistaken this concept. People turn on the TV or see an ad or a post on social media regarding a particular food being promised as the sole solution to some problem, and they start following it whereas it has been told so many times that a single nutrient or food cannot cover the disease on its own and thus does require the support of a complete healthy lifestyle.
Similarly, a diet full of vital nutrients can help overcome the mild symptoms of COVID-19 but it is not the solution. When a person gets COVID-19, he/she starts feeling different symptoms ranging from a dry cough to shortness of breath and the remedies that are suggested either in the form of chemical salts or food items can only lower the intensity of these symptoms.
Anyways, a diet with optimal calories and rich in protein, calories, vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium, and antioxidants (vitamin C and zinc) is recommended to follow for slowing down the progression of COVID-19. A person with COVID-19 may face a suppressed appetite or may not eat according to his/her needs and in this scenario, the person will really need something to support his/her diet intake.
This may help in COVID-19
A COVID-19 patient with a suppressed appetite and a compromised immune system needs something that can help him/her to fulfill the deficient nutrients and strengthen the immune system, but how it will be done?
At this point, when the diet is not enough to fulfill its job, a person can really use the help of some good quality dietary supplements to enhance immunity and get some help in managing the symptoms. Here are few supplements that can help.
1. Vitamin C Supplements
Vitamin C supplements can provide support to immunity by reducing oxidative stress and strengthening the skin. Besides vitamin C, dietary supplements that contain other strong antioxidants like, Rose Hips Extract, Zinc, and some bioflavonoids, can also provide antioxidant support to our immune system.
2. Zinc supplements
Zinc is a strong antioxidant and also helps other immune cells in their functioning. dietary supplements generally soluble salts of zinc to enhance its absorbance in the body, making it available for the immune system. So, this way zinc supplements can really help in COVID-19 by supporting a strong immune response.
3. Magnesium supplements
Although Magnesium has nothing to do with immunity but is involved in more than 300 body mechanisms, including the dilation of the air pathway. Therefore, Magnesium supplementation in COVID-19 can really help.
In the end, remember that without a proper precautionary attitude, no food, no supplement, or no remedy can help against COVID-19. So, be aware and be safe!
References:
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323755#how-does- magnesium-treat-asthma
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9701160/
• https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cdcresponse/about-COVID-19.html