This eating habit could protect against Covid-19

Eating fruits and vegetables helps the immune system fight off infections. We know this for colds, the flu… but a new Brazilian study published in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health in January 2024 also shows this for Covid-19. “Unlike the West, Okinawa, Japan, one of the five blue zones on the planet, with a population already known for its longevity, has experienced low mortality from Covid-19. Likewise, in sub-Saharan Africa, “Lower mortality and infection rates have been noted compared to rates in North Africa, Europe and North America. These populations have similar dietary habits.” explain the authors. Precisely “both have a plant-based diet and a low incidence of chronic diseases, which likely contributed to the decline in mortality from Covid-19. In contrast, populations that eat a diet rich in foods of natural origin animal, with large amounts of saturated fats and ultra-processed foods, have a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases, risk factors for complications of Covid-19 in adults and the elderly.

Based on this observation, they hypothesized that plant-based diet or vegetarian diet may be associated with lower incidence and severity of Covid-19 in those following such diets compared to those with a omnivorous diet (including meat). In their study, 702 participants were recruited between March and July 2022 and were divided into two groups based on their dietary habits: omnivorous (424) and plant-based (278). The researchers then found that the “plant-based diet” group, mainly vegetarians, had 39% less risk of catching Covid-19, compared to the omnivore group. Vegetarians consumed more grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and fewer dairy products and eggs. On the other hand, each person’s eating habits had no impact on the severity and duration of Covid-19. In conclusion, the researchers believe that the vegetarian diet “can be considered to protect against Covid-19 infection”.
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