Foods to Buy to Prevent Having Serious COVID-19

The world is starting to feel at ease because of the COVID-19 vaccine distributed around the world. But this does not guarantee that COVID-19 will no longer be around in the next foreseeable future. For that reason, scientists are looking at how food science and nutrition could be of help to people.

With various studies and scientific trials, they believe some supermarket items may be able to help fight against COVID-19. MailOnline lists some of these items and looked at their protective role against having the severe type of infection. Scientists consider these foods for future clinical trials due to their potential health benefits.

But Dr. Sarah Berry of King's College London said that "the way we need to be thinking about our food is in terms of dietary patterns instead of a "magic bullet."

Dark Chocolate

Eating foods rich in flavanols could be beneficial to health, including blood circulation, and help improves mental health. In a previous report by Science Times, flavanol-rich foods could help prevent dementia. But could it also prevent severe COVID-19?

A study from the researchers in North Carolina State University, published this month in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, found that a sub-group flavan-3-ols can bind to Mpro in Sars-CoV-2 to prevent it from functioning, and therefore deactivating it so that it will not spread and cause the infection.

The researchers further said: "these data recommend that these nutraceutical compounds and extracts of green tea, grape, and cacao can be utilized to interfere the devastation of SARS-Cov-2."

Tuna

Tuna is a good source of vitamin B12, high in omega-3, as well as protein content. A scientific paper published by researchers from the Bohai University in China in the journal Food Chemistry looked at the proteins found in tuna and assessed if they play a significant role in protecting a person from getting infected with COVID-19.

They found that 142 peptides are created once they are digested by the body and reacts to Mpro and receptor ACE2, two aspects of coronavirus infection, which is called E-M that interferes with the normal processes of the virus. The researchers believe that E-M may be considered as a potential inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2.

But Hannah Whittaker, British Dietetic Association's (BDA), cautions people not to eat too much tuna because it could also have a negative effect on a person's health due to high mercury content.

Kefir

Produced from fermented milk and grains, kefir is a yogurt-like liquid that is rich in protein and calcium. It has been previously linked t improving blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Researchers from the Alexandria University, Egypt and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, published a study in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy which claims that kefir also has antiviral properties that could fight the coronavirus infection.

The researchers said that kefir could act as an anti-inflammatory agent that might be a significant inhibitor of the cytokine storm, an inflammation caused by COVID-19.

Seaweed

During the 19th century an edible seaweed, known as carrageenan, is used to treat respiratory illnesses. Nowadays, it is being sold as one of the main ingredients in a nasal spray. Researchers from Swansea University have conducted human trials based on this seaweed and found it can successfully prevent infection and reduce the severe symptoms of COVID-19.

Known as ICE-COVID, the trial is still ongoing on 480 frontline NHS healthcare workers in the Welsh city, in which the results are expected to be released in May 2021.

"If the results of this randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial are positive as we expect, this has the potential to add an extra prevention strategy in the fight against COVID-19," said Dr. Zita Jessop, the co-lead of the study.