COVID-19, a disease caused by a new coronavirus, is a disease that has rapidly spread around the world and turned into a pandemic. Coronavirus is one of the main pathogens that mainly targets the human respiratory system. Age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immunosuppression, and organ failure are risk factors for the severity of the disease.
Fever, cough, fatigue, myalgia, diarrhea and pneumonia are the most common manifestations of COVID-19 and acute respiratory infections stress syndrome, metabolic acidosis, septic shock, coagulation disorder, liver, kidney and heart failure can be seen. At the individual level, the common denominator that drives most nutritional and dietary recommendations for combating viral infections, including COVID-19, is in the link between diet and immunity. In fact, current evidence highlights that diet has a profound effect on people's immune system and susceptibility to disease. It has been shown that specific nutrients or combinations of nutrients can affect the immune system in a variety of ways. Moreover, dietary additives are important determinants of gut microbial composition and ultimately shape the characteristics of immune responses in the body. Nutritional deficiencies of energy, protein, and specific micronutrients are associated with suppressed immune function and increased susceptibility to infection. Adequate intake of iron, zinc and vitamins A, E, B6 and B12 is predominantly vital for the maintenance of immune function. Therefore, the key to maintaining an effective immune system is to avoid deficiencies of nutrients that play an important role in immune cell triggering, interaction, differentiation or functional expression. Therefore, the responsibility of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic is to choose a healthy lifestyle, eat diets rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise in their spare time, try to maintain a healthy weight and get adequate sleep. In addition to being mindful of one's dietary intake, individuals' collective responsibility is to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding nutrition and dietary intake and COVID-19. Since the outbreak, social media networks have been making promises of treatment or prevention of infection. It was filled with messages of single foods/herbs. The effects of such baseless claims can lead to negative consequences ranging from a false sense of protection against infection to toxicity.
Dietary Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Try to eat balanced meals, avoid irregular snacking
• Choose foods rich in vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12, zinc and iron, for example; citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and dairy products.
• Try to exercise regularly (home exercises), sleep well, and meditate.
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Adequate water
• Avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs.
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Restrict your salt consumption.
• Avoid spreading misinformation about COVID 19 about nutrition and dietary intake.
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