Vegetarian diet helps COVID-19 patients reduce the risk of severe progression

The report has provided remarkable figures: Of 2,884 frontline medical workers from 6 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France and Germany), those who follow the regime A plant-based diet rich in green vegetables, legumes, and seeds with COVID-19 reduces the risk of severe disease progression by 73%. Those who followed the Pescatarian diet, which ate only fish, and reduced poultry, red meat and processed meat, saw a 59% reduction.

Compared with people who follow a plant-based diet, those who eat a low-carb, high-protein (animal-derived) diet have a moderate to severe risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms. 4 times higher.

Typical low carb diet (Source: Internet)

Experts note that a vegetarian diet provides a lot of nutrients, vitamins and minerals important for boosting the immune system. A vegan or plant-based diet may not prevent a person from contracting SARS-CoV-2, but it can help support a healthy immune system. This can help prevent getting COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe symptoms. In addition, a plant-based diet may also reduce the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. These are diseases recommended by the Ministry of Health that will increase the risk of contracting COVID-19.

It can be seen that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the eating habits of many people in a positive direction. In fact, consumption of healthy foods like vegetables and whole grains is on the rise, replacing unhealthy foods like fast food, desserts and desserts. Drinks containing a lot of sugar.

In order to strengthen the resistance of family members, everyone has paid attention to the diet, ensuring adequate protein and micronutrients, especially foods rich in vitamin C. Good resistance will reduce the risk of disease. Unfortunate cases will also be milder and recover faster. In particular, pregnant women, young children, the elderly, malnourished people, and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes are very susceptible to infection. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the body's resistance.

Health benefits of a vegetarian diet

There are many reasons why many people choose a vegetarian diet such as related to religion, environmental protection or personal reasons. Scientific vegetarianism can help reduce the risk of chronic disease, aid in weight loss, and many other health benefits. In fact, studies show that vegetarians often have better diet quality than meat eaters. They loaded up on a lot of important nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E and magnesium.

A vegetarian diet may also offer other health benefits, such as:

• Help healthy skin
• Promote weight loss
• Reduce the risk of cancer
• Stabilize blood sugar
• Lower cholesterol, improve heart health
• Reduce the risk of obesity
• Control blood pressure
• Improve the digestive system
• Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes

Animal protein is different from plant protein. However, scientific studies show that protein consists of 22 amino acids, of which only 8 are necessary for the needs of the human body and are fully contained in grains and legumes. Sometimes the amount is more than processed meat foods.

The source of nutrients that vegetarian food provides is extremely rich. In addition, vegetarians can limit cardiovascular diseases, blood and fatty liver caused by animal fats.

Daily vegan lunch in Tram Tue

Foods that should be included in a vegetarian diet
A vegetarian diet should include a varied mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein. To replace the protein provided by meat in your diet, eat more protein-rich foods such as nuts, beans, tempeh, tofu, seaweed.

You can eat eggs and milk to increase your protein intake if you are not following a plant-based diet. Nutrient-rich whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be included to provide a range of essential vitamins and minerals to help fill any nutritional gaps in your vegetarian diet.

For vegetarians, except for meat and fish, they will eat all kinds of vegetables, fruits and nuts. A few healthy foods recommended by nutritionists every day:

• Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, melons, pears, peaches
• Vegetables: Green vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots
• Grains: Quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rice, oats
• Legumes: Lentils, peas, chickpeas
• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, chia seeds
• Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado
• Protein: Tofu, spirulina, eggs, dairy products

A balanced vegetarian diet with nutritious foods like whole grains, healthy fats, and plant-based proteins offers many benefits. You should pay attention to supplement a few important nutrients that vegetarians often lack, such as vitamin B-12. That way you're helping to round out your vegan diet with a range of healthy foods and minimizing its shortcomings.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a vegetarian and vegan diet, if carefully calculated, balanced, and varied, will ensure the nutrients the body needs. . However, there are a few nutrients that vegetarians and vegans need to pay attention to, including vitamin B12.

In addition to strengthening resistance by natural methods, completely free of charge, eating also plays a very important role in the human body. During the time of social distancing, Tram Tue will share how to make simple vegetarian dishes that are easy to make with ingredients available in each family. Hope everyone will have delicious vegetarian meals with loved ones.

Caption: https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/4/1/257