Hello everyone:
As you know, we have been talking about the Elephant In The Room, and this means that the Elephant (how healthy and resilient we are) needs to be super strong if we are to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or keep the infection as mild as possible. In the medical literature, there are hundreds of papers on the role of nutrition/diet and optimal/excellent immune response and regulation or poor/inadequate immune function. Here is a great paper on the Standard American Diet (SAD) and immune function:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4074336/
Here are several highlights:
“The Western diet is characterized by a high intake of saturated and omega-6 fatty acids, reduced omega-3 fat intake, an overuse of salt, and too much refined sugar [1]. Most are aware that this type of eating, if not in moderation, can damage the heart, kidneys, and waistlines; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the modern diet also damages the immune system.”
“In summary, there is enough quality, direct human evidence to conclude that many of the dietary choices in today’s modern society appear to have harmful impacts on our immune system and likely on the immune system of our offspring.”
Bottom Line:
Read this excellent paper and/or focus on reviewing Fig. 2 where there is a nice visual of how food impacts immune function and Table 1 where there is a nice summary. The next thing to do is to avoid sugar, bad fats, etc., and aim for optimal food plans based on what is called the Mediterranean Diet. Please check back in my earlier Blog posts on my website for info on optimal food plans. Now you know that your food choices have a significant impact on how well you weather this pandemic, so make the best choices possible NOW and do your best to safeguard you and your loved-one’s health.
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