Since diet plays a crucial role in the functioning of the immune system, it is not the time to go on restrictive diets but rather the time to focus on eating a healthy diet rich in various nutrients:
Zinc, for example, is important for the maintenance and development of the innate and adaptive immune system, for defense against viral as well as bacterial infections (Gammoh et al., 2017).
A lack of selenium could lead to an immune deficiency but also a propensity for a retrovirus (RNA type virus) to mutate and increase its virulence (Harthill, 2011).
All the more interesting is the role that vitamin D seems to have to decrease the susceptibility to pulmonary infection, or to be able to decrease the severity of a pulmonary infection, such as that caused by a virus, therefore can be promising in the Covid-19 pandemic (Grant et al., 2020).
In addition, people suffering from chronic diseases must be more vigilant in taking care of their health because SARS-CoV2 is more virulent among these people (WHO, 2020), so food is an essential ally.
Nutrition is the foundation of our health and can make a difference in these times when our immune system needs an extra boost. A nutritionist-dietitian can help guide you in improving your diet based on the latest scientific evidence. We are here for that!
Anne-Marie Mitchell, Dt.P, M.Sc. Nutritionist-Dietitian
Please do not hesitate to contact us at the RocklandMD clinic for an appointment or more information.