Covid-19 In the UK
In the UK, there are currently 148,725 cases of coronavirus a day, and although 80% of the British population has been vaccinated with two doses, and 60% has received their third dose, people still experience cough, fever, sore throat, dizziness and muscle pain. For some people it’s difficult to completely recover and they can feel the after effects of the disease for months.
Who is at risk?
Smokers
On 23rd March 2020, WHO highlighted that people with pre-existing non-communicable diseases, and people 60+ are at the greatest risk. There are also risk factors and conditions that make people more vulnerable to becoming severely ill. An example is smoking. Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to the virus, as the act of smoking means that fingers are in contact with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth. Moreover, smokers may already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity, which increases risk of illness.
Unhealthy dieters
Another example is the adherence to an unhealthy diet. Diets high in saturated fats, sugar, salt and refined carbohydrates contribute to the prevalence of obesity, type-2 diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. These can all impair our body’s ability to produce anti-inflammatory molecules (called cytokines) that help us to fight against illnesses. As a result, people that follow unhealthy diets have an impaired host defence against viruses.
Speeding up recovery
Recovering from covid-19 is not the same for everyone. Some people lose their capacity to smell and taste and they start eating less, resulting in malnutrition.
Malnutrition is a big knock on effect of covid-19 and it is caused by an incorrect amount of nutrients in your diet. It is common, as people tend to lose appetite, eat less and lose weight. It leads to a slower recovery, reduced energy level and increased risk of illness and infection. It is particularly common among the elderly who are more prone to have calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D, folate and zinc deficiencies.
To prevent malnutrition and ensure a quick and easy recovery, there are different nutrition strategies that can be implemented, including food fortification (a strategy to maximise the nutritional content of food), increased intake of calories, increased protein requirements, consumption of nutritional supplements that provide at least 400 kcal/day and 30 g of protein (for older patients), a multivitamin and a vitamin D supplement.
Evidence recommends that Vitamin D is a crucial supportive agent for the immune system, mainly in cytokine response regulation against covid-19. A lack of this vitamin, which is produced in the human skin from the exposure to sun rays, predisposes to a higher risk of becoming ill with the virus. Vitamin-D deficient individuals have five times higher probability of developing severe illnesses compared to those who have adequate levels of the vitamin.
Vitamin D is found in eggs, salmon, tuna, fortified breakfast cereals and fortified dairy products. It is important to increase the amount of these nutrients when recovering from the illness. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that there is no single food that has been proven to prevent covid-19 infections.
Top tips for covid recovery
Nevertheless, there are some nutrition tips provided by the WHO, including recommended food to consume, that we can follow to recover more quickly from the virus infection:
- Cook your meals from scratch and choose higher protein/higher energy options to give your body the extra energy and extra protein that is needed for the recovery. Aim to have three portions of protein a day.
- Consume a minimum of 400 g (5 portions) of fruit and vegetables. Citrus fruits like oranges, clementines and grapefruit are good options, as rich in vitamin C which is recommended to empower the immune system. Apples and bananas are also highly nutritious and rich in fibre. Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and beets as well as vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are recommended, as sources of vitamin C, K and vitamin A. They are rich in antioxidants, and they provide health promoting properties. You can also use frozen fruit and vegetables in smoothies to increase your fibre intake.
- Aim to have three portions of dairy a day, as they provide protein and calcium. We recommend choosing low-fat dairy to reduce saturated fat consumption, while also getting all the benefits of dairy.
- Supplement drinks. If you are drinking less than usual during this time, due to poor appetite, it is recommended to intake caloric drinks that provide at least 400 calories a day along with additional nutrients like protein.
- Avoid alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is the primary cause of liver disease, and it causes addiction. Furthermore, it undermines our body’s ability to cope with infectious diseases, including covid-19.
- Limit your fat intake. WHO recommends limiting total fat intake to 30% of total energy intake, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fats. To achieve this, aim at consuming healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, and reduce unhealthy fats such as red meat, palm oil and coconut oil.
- Limit your sugar intake. WHO recommends that less than 5% of total energy intake should come from free sugars.
- Limit your salt intake. Try to consume less than 6 g of salt per day. Prioritise foods with no added salt and use more herbs and spices in place of salt.
An efficient way to reduce the risk of viral infections is to exercise (recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week) and embrace a healthy and balanced diet.
A diet that has been linked to a lower risk of respiratory infections and that is recommended to recover after illness is the Mediterranean diet. This diet is associated with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory compounds including essential vitamins (C, D and E) and minerals (zinc, copper and calcium) that affect a person’s nutritional status. The diet is based on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil followed by low-to-moderate consumption of dairy products and red meat. Several foods associated with the Mediterranean diet contain bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. The key secret of this diet is found in the high intake of anti-inflammatory compounds such as fruit and vegetables and a minimum intake of processed foods typical of the Western diet.
Good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when our immune system needs to fight back. Following these tips daily in this difficult moment, is a way of improving your health and lowering your risk of becoming severely ill with a viral infection such as covid-19.