Mrs. María del Mar Silva Rivera, a renowned specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics, points out that in patients with persistent COVID, deficiencies of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids are detected, as well as an excess of oxidative stress. For this reason, he advises a diet rich in antioxidants (present in vegetables) and with a reduction or occasional elimination of lactose and gluten, since they can favor low-grade inflammation. Similarly, obesity in the patient, if present, should be treated.
Therefore, a diet rich in vegetables, with lactose-free dairy products and whole grains while controlling gluten is the diet of choice for a period of at least 3 months. Subsequently, the person’s usual diet is gradually resumed and he/she will have to watch his/her weight and maintain a healthy weight.
In addition, in this period of long COVID we know that they may have increased needs of micronutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folates, selenium and magnesium (which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue), omega-3 fatty acids (which are inflammation mediators), amino acids and other factors such as tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, choline, myo-inositol, glutathione (which is related to vitamin D deficiency), etc.
Thus, it is sometimes necessary to supplement these nutrients, since only with the usual diet we may not be covering the daily needs of the person in the disease process. In some cases, vitamin D and B12 supplementation should be established after requesting a blood test in which we see that, indeed, they are in insufficient levels.
Pro-immune diet: what are its advantages?
A pro-immune diet is one that facilitates the immune system to have all the necessary elements to be able to exercise its function correctly. Many studies indicate that macro and micronutrient deficiencies influence the immune response and the development of disease by viruses, so that a virus that is normally benign or that only produces a mild disease, can behave in a very virulent pathogen because the nutritional deficiencies of the host can alter the genome of the virus.
The pro-immunity diet favors the consumption of foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, white and blue fish, white meats, eggs, lactose-free dairy products (although fermented foods such as yogurt are consumed) and, sometimes, it is also necessary to remove gluten, replacing cereals that contain it with others whose gluten content is lower or gluten-free. The aim is not to eliminate gluten completely from the diet, but to reduce its consumption and choose other cereals or pseudocereals.
This diet does not favor the consumption of ultra-processed foods, sweets, pastries (even homemade), alcohol, saturated fats (sausages, fatty cold cuts, butter)… and unsaturated fats such as oleic acid (in extra virgin olive oil) are prioritized in reasonable quantities.
In reality it is very similar to a well-made Mediterranean diet with control of dairy intake and prioritizing fish over meat, with small portions of whole grains and olive oil.