Covid & Diet

We are in the middle to winter in Melbourne. Hospital interpreters here are usually given free flu jabs and required to have the highest level of COVID vaccinations, facilitated through the agencies they work with.

I attended a health talk recently organized by Tzu Chi Melbourne, where the presenters shared with us a study on plant based diet and the COVID severity rate published on BMJ Nutrition in 2021. This is a dietary habit comparison study conducted among 2884 hospital medical staff who had direct contact with COVID patients in 6 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and USA.

The participants were divided into 3 categories: plant based diets, Pescatarian diet (plant based except egg, dairies, fish and seafood) and omnivorous diet.

The study has found that participants on plant based diets has a reduced rate in developing severe Covid symptons by 73%; those on Pescatarian diet has a reduced risk by 59%; those on low carb and high protein diets are 2.86 more likely to develop severe symptons.

Plant -based diets are rich in plant chemicals polyphenols and carotene. The research report states that among those on plant-based diets consistantly, their intake of cellulose, vitamin A, C and E, folic acid and minerals (iron, potassium, magnesium) are high.

Omega 3 can enhance the body’s defence, but in this study, the performance of Pescatarian diet is not as good as the vegan diet. The specific reason is unclear.

Another research on the quality of diet and COVID-19 by Harvard University, followed 592,571 people, for an average of 7 months, with 31,815 participant infected with COVID. That research has reached the conclusion that high fruits and vegetables diet centering around plant food will reduce the risk of COVID infection and the severe symptoms even if you are infected.

What is the conclusion?  The use of plant -based diet can protect you from the severe symptons of Covid. Tzu Chi Melbourne is running free healthy eating courses in the second twice a year. So come and find out more about how to eat a Rainbow vegetarian diet to stay healthy, so you can be the best interpreter you can be!

For more inforation, email info@chinesetranslationmelbourne.com.au, or call 0431 562.

Reference:

1. Kim, H., Rebholz, C. M., Hegde, S., LaFiura, C., Raghavan, M., Lloyd, J. F., … & Seidelmann, S. B. (2021). Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case–control study in six countries. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 4(1), 257.

2. Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study Gut. 2021 Nov;70(11):2096-2104. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325353. Epub 2021 Sep 6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34489306/