The decision to lift all remaining restrictions on July 19 has met considerable resistance from the medical community, with fears that the healthcare system could come under strain. With the Government planning to press ahead, it is important to find ways to mitigate the harm posed by COVID-19. New research has found a particular diet confers protection against COVID-19.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a decidedly cautious tone in his press briefing on Monday, emphasising vigilance when the UK ends all remaining restrictions on July 19. The decision to lift restrictions across the board has met vociferous opposition in recent days.
With the pandemic still raging, the British Medical Association has warned of “potentially devastating consequences” after the UK opens up, despite the successful vaccine roll-out. Against this climate, finding ways to shield yourself against the virus is mission critical.
Fortunately, certain foods have been shown to bolster the body's defences against COVID-19. Nutrition researcher and registered dietitian Emily Leeming from King’s College London has outlined key foods to eat.
Leeming was involved in recent research that found that people who eat a high quality, plant-rich diet are less likely to catch COVID-19 or end up in the hospital with it.
As she explained, a high quality, plant-based diet can confer protection against COVID-19.
This includes "chowing down on more healthy plant-based whole foods - such as fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and pulses), seeds and whole grains", said Leeming.
She continued: "It also includes eating oily fish and fewer highly processed foods." The dietary advice is based on findings that indicate adopting this dietary approach is associated with a lower risk from COVID-19.
Back in the autumn of 2020, the team behind the ZOE COVID Study app, which logs insights from millions of contributors - asked users to fill in a detailed diet questionnaire about the food they were eating before and during the pandemic.
Together with our research colleagues at Harvard Medical School and King’s College London, the team analysed all the diet data and mapped it against COVID symptoms and positive tests reported in the app.
They discovered that people who eat a high quality, plant-rich diet are less likely to catch COVID-19 or end up in the hospital with it. "This is the first time that diet has been shown to reduce the risk of developing the disease," noted the researchers.
Rather than looking at specific foods or nutrients, the survey released through the app was designed to look at broader dietary patterns which are more reflective of how we actually eat.