In a recent study, it was found that people on a plant-based diet had less severe COVID-19 symptoms and such a diet may provide protection against the disease.
The study conducted by BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal tracked 2884 frontline healthcare workers from six countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, USA), who were following plant-based diets or pescatarian diets. The diets they followed were higher in vegetables, legumes and nuts, and lower in poultry and red and processed meats.
It was found that those on a plant-based diet and pescatarian diet had 73% and 59% lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19, respectively.
The healthcare workers with ‘substantial exposure’ to COVID-19 were studied using a survey conducted over a period of two months. The study revealed that of the 568 total cases, 430 participants had very mild to mild severity and 138 had moderate-to-severe COVID-19 symptoms.
It was also seen that those on a ‘low carbohydrate, high protein diets’ had greater odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19. A type of such diet is the ketogenic diet, which emphasises on low carb-high protein foods, and is gaining popularity around the world.
