Can a plant-based diet help you fight covid?

After she turned 40, Deepa Palaniappan, founder of Shambala Resort and Spa in Yercaud, began to think more seriously about her health. “I can’t accept that your body was in your twenties and thirties,” she says. So last year she contacted a nutritionist focused on a plant-based diet through a yoga group. “She led me to a 21-day diet,” says Parania Bread, who started eating lots of fruits, millet, salads, and soups as part of this diet. It left her in a very good mood, she says. “So I started making it my lifestyle.”

Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular over the years as more and more people rely on them for a variety of reasons, including fear of health, animal welfare, or climate change.Now there may be yet another reason to look at a plant-based diet: it may help you beat covid, says a new study published. BMJ nutrition, prevention, healthAn open access journal published by the British Medical Journal in connection with the NNEdPro Global Center for Nutrition and Health (Cambridge).

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A web-based study of healthcare professionals in six countries who were significantly exposed to covid-19 patients found that “a plant-based diet or a pescetarian diet is moderate to severe. Was associated with lower COVID-19 odds. ”In addition, pescatarians were 59% less likely to develop serious illnesses from the virus, but those who ate a plant-based diet were even better. The chances of developing severe Covid were 73% lower.

Indeed, this study is far from perfect. The sample size was relatively small, with only 2,884 health care workers for beginners. Also, because the diet was self-reported, the actual quality of the 11 selected diets was not thoroughly investigated. But the nutritionist as a whole agrees that there may be something in it. “Covid increases inflammation in the body,” says Aakriti Arora, a nutritionist based in Delhi. Inflammation is the normal immune response to injury and the invasion of pathogens, which can be excessive in some patients and lead to more serious infections. She says that plant-based diets reduce inflammation in the body, so they can benefit those who are suffering from covid or who have recovered from their condition. Also, in general, plant-based people will eat more fruits and vegetables than their omnivorous compatriots. “So they are making healthier choices overall,” Arora believes. It-this time-helps build general immunity.

Beyond covid

So what exactly do you mean by a plant-based diet? Plant-based is often used interchangeably with the word vegan, and in fact, vegan diets are made up entirely of plant-derived foods, but they are not the same. “There are subtle differences,” points out Sheila Krishnaswamy, a nutrition and wellness consultant. Like a vegan diet, a plant-based diet includes many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes, but it does not completely avoid animal foods. “Vegan diets do not contain any animal foods or by-products. A plant-based diet allows you to consume small amounts of animal foods as needed,” said a Bangalore-based nutritionist. Says.

Even if we remove covid from the situation, there are significant benefits to eating a diet rich in plant-derived foods. Dr. Amit Kande Parker, Head of Healthcare Nutrition in Danon, states that a plant-based diet provides more fiber and is rich in vitamins A, C, E, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium. .. “Studies show that eating a plant-based diet improves intestinal health, reduces inflammation, improves immunity, and heart disease, type 2 compared to a diet high in animal foods. It has been suggested that the risk of diabetes and even some cancers is reduced, “said Khandeparkar. He adds that diet can also benefit people who want to maintain a healthy weight.

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Sure, the “best” diet for you depends on many factors, including lifestyle, preferences, fitness regime, etc., but a more plant-based diet is always a good thing. “In general, your overall health will improve,” says Vijay Shankar Murthy, who has been primarily plant-based and bungalow-based since 2002. From 2011 to 2012, he went back a bit to the diet, introducing mainly lean meats and continuing to eat the rest of the diet on a plant basis. “I really enjoy this experience,” he says.

Plan your plant

Before riding the plant-based trend, keep in mind that plant-based is not always synonymous with health. “It’s common for people to switch to a plant-based diet system and still eat unhealthy,” Arora points out. After all, many plant-based foods such as oreo, potato chips, mida alcohol, and sugar are not something you want to include in your diet on a regular basis. “Even if you’re on a plant-based diet, you need to focus on micronutrients and macronutrients and consciously decide to consume more fruits, vegetables, and fiber,” she adds. ..

This is what Delhi-based nutritionist Kavita Davegan believes is especially important in a plant-based diet. “It can be a nutritionally difficult trade-off,” she said, saying that nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and omega 3 fatty acids can be seriously deficient. I will point out. “To complete your diet, you need to eat wisely and focus on the nutrients listed above,” she says.

For example, vegetable foods, unlike animal foods, tend to provide incomplete protein because they do not contain all nine essential amino acids that our body needs to function effectively. “Combine vegetable foods wisely to cover all the essential amino acids,” Devgan says with an example. Legumes (cooked dried beans, dried pea, lentils) are low in sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, etc.), but high in another amino acid called lysine. Grain is the exact opposite. “So you can get both by eating both together,” she says, and combinations like beans or dal and rice are ideal for covering all protein needs. I added that there is. It would help if you were also aware of vitamins B12 and D: a plant-based diet is notoriously deficient in both. “Many plant-based foods are fortified with these vitamins,” says Arora. “Or you can take supplements.”

However, Parania Bread believes that a plant-based diet is very sustainable if well planned. She continues to make most of her diet around plant-based foods, consciously eats more vegetables, avoids animal foods, and tries more plant-based recipes. “My hormones started to balance, my skin was clean and I felt a lot of positive energy,” she said, adding that she feels this lifestyle is very sustainable. I did. She eats a few pieces of meat from time to time on weekends, but when she goes out, she loves how plant-based foods make her feel. “You are looking forward to a beautiful meal. You will have a bite to eat and you will feel full and nutritious by the end of the meal,” says Parania Bread. “People underestimate how food affects the mind. The more energetic, the more positive it feels.”

Plant-based diet suggestions

Daily meal plan for the average individual with no medical history:

Kcal 1600-1800

Early morning-a glass of hot water containing 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cinnamon

Breakfast-1 Vegetable Uttapam + Coconut Chutney

Morning snack-1 fruit of your choice + 1 glass of coconut

Lunch-1 bowl lentils + I bowl rice + salad / 1 bowl vegetable curry + 2 multigrain rotis + salad

Evening Snacks-Tea / Coffee + Roasted Macana / Part of Fox Nuts

Supper-Chilli garlic tofu curry with veggie quinoa or veggie brown rice + part of salad

(By Akriti Arora)