A plant-based diet appears to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 infection

Bisquitarians, who are vegetarians who also eat fish, have a 59 percent lower risk of severe COVID-19 infection. On the other hand, eating a low-carb, high-protein LCHF diet does not appear to protect against severe disease in COVID-19. Quite the contrary, but these results are not statistically significant. The survey also asked about healthy food, the Stone Age diet, and the Mediterranean diet, as well as how often participants ate 47 types of regular foods.

Beneficial nutrients help the immune system

The researchers believe that one reason for the findings is that a plant-based diet contains many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system. Fish contains a lot of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial to the body.

138 infected with severe Covid-19 virus-19

studies It was published in the British Medical Journal and is based on a survey across the Survey Healthcare Globus network that was answered by 2,884 healthcare professionals who have worked near Covid patients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Of these, 568 have had COVID-19 (symptomatic or positive test), of whom 138 have severe COVID-19. The study was conducted from July to September 2020 when new viral variants were not yet common.

Men are more than women

The researchers took into account, among other things, age, BMI, lifestyle and ethnicity, but there may be factors other than diet that influence the effect. Therefore, a specific causal link to diet cannot be drawn out but more studies are needed. In addition, 70 percent of those surveyed were men, so the conclusions for women are less certain.

We know that eating more plant-based foods is beneficial in many other ways, so obviously this may actually give another reason to eat less meat and be more vegan, says Magnus Jeslin, MD, professor and chief medical officer at Sahlgrenska University Hospital after reading the study.