Washington: Want to stay COVID-19 free? Just follow a healthy diet.
According to a study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, the coronavirus infection can be avoided if people maintain a diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.
The new study claims that at least one-third of coronavirus cases could have been avoided if people had a healthy diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables, claims a new study.
Vaccination, wearing mask, maintaining social distancing remain the key in the battle against the dreaded coronavirus, but the researchers say that proper eating can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.
According to the study — published in the journal Gut — people who followed a healthier diet had a 9 per cent lower risk of getting the infection than those who were not careful with their eating habits.
Those who ate healthier were found to be 41 per cent less likely to develop severe COVID symptoms.
Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out last year, medical experts had identified obesity and Type 2 diabetes as conditions which can cause severe coronavirus complications. This study is among the first to add nutrition as a factor.
The researchers worked on data collected from 592,571 people from the US and the UK over a 10-month period, between March and December 2020. All participants were asked about their dietary habits, after which the researchers assigned a score to people’s ‘diet quality,’ with an emphasis on fruit and vegetable consumption.
The researchers observed a link between poor nutrition, increased socio-economic deprivation and COVID-19 risk.
Those who live in poor neighbourhoods and consume fast food are much more susceptible to the virus.
“Our findings are a call for governments and those who develop protocols to prioritize healthy eating and welfare with influential policies,” said study editor Jordi Marino.
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