Eating your way healthy always sounds like a worn-out truism, but we are what we eat. This has never been more relevant than today, while we are living in a time with COVID. A September 2021 study in the journal Diseases indicates that an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce the severity of the disease.  COVID suppresses the immune system by causing a systemic inflammatory response, called cytokine release syndrome.  This syndrome results in COVID patients having high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. 

Several studies have shown that nutrition is a key component in both respiratory and immune system health.  The nutritional status of COVID patients has been directly shown to relate to the severity of the disease. Improving nutritional health can reap benefits for all of us living in the modern-COVID world.

Anti-inflammatory Diet

A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is one full of fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts. Specifically, foods like:

• tomatoes

• olive oil

• green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, and collards

• nuts, like almonds and walnuts

• fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines

• fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges

These foods reduce inflammation since they are high in polyphenols (a protective compound found in plants) and natural antioxidants.  Coffee also contains polyphenols and some other anti-inflammatory compounds, which can help reduce inflammation, as well.

The Mediterranean diet is one that is naturally anti-inflammatory, so use that diet as a model.  Consider adding whole grains and avoid foods like lunch meats, fried foods, and sugary drinks.

Maintaining a healthy diet should be one of the tools we use to minimize the effects of COVID.  Since it is likely that COVID will be with us for years to come we need to equip ourselves with all the necessary tools to fight this disease, including a healthy diet.

About the author

Kimberly Distilli

Kimberly Distilli, R.N. and founder of Wellness Balance, has spent almost three decades in the medical field. Kimberly devoted her life to taking care of others but it wasn’t until she became seriously ill with breast cancer that she discovered the impact of alternative, non-invasive therapies such as cold laser therapy, alkaline water, cellular cleansing and neurotoxin release.