How does what you eat affect your chances of fighting viruses such as the coronavirus? A Virginia Tech professor detailed how diet can make a difference.
鈥淚 think the biggest mistake people are making is (thinking) there is nothing they can do beyond social isolation to defend themselves against infections,鈥� said , an assistant professor at Virginia Tech and a registered dietitian.
Rafie has expertise in nutrition and dietetics, focused on health education of Virginia residents through the .
In addition to social distancing and wearing a mask, there are ways people can boost their personal defense system while waiting to get the coronavirus vaccine.
Rafie said bodies are highly capable of managing disease and defending against disease. One way to start is by eating more fruits and vegetables.
鈥淭he dietary recommendations recommends about two cups of fruits a day and three cups of vegetables a day. But only one out of 10 Americans actually consume that amount,鈥� Rafie said.
Rafie believes that by increasing the number of servings of fruits and vegetables, the risk for disease can be decreased and health may be improved.
Fruits and vegetables high in vitamins A and C boost the immune system.
鈥淰itamin A plays a really important role in the integrity of our skin and digestive tract, the epithelial tissue 鈥� that鈥檚 where a lot of infection gets in 鈥� including respiratory tissue,鈥� Rafie said. 鈥淩espiratory is kind of an epithelial tissue.鈥�
So which vegetables should you choose?
鈥淭hey should be the ones you like, otherwise you鈥檙e not going to eat them,鈥� she said.
Think also in terms of varieties of colors and forms and vegetables, fresh, cooked, canned and frozen.
“So that you consume them in sufficient quantities and variety,” Rafie said.
It鈥檚 not just fruits and vegetables that can help your body fight off disease, but a dose of dairy can also help, specifically dairy fortified with vitamin D.
鈥淰itamin D plays an important role for balancing immune response in the immune system,鈥� Rafie said.
Don鈥檛 do dairy? Rafie said you can look for alternative milk products or even orange juice fortified with vitamin D.
Rafie also recommends fermented foods with live active cultures, such as yogurt or kombucha, which are good for your digestive system and intestinal tract.
鈥淗aving a really healthy intestinal tract and digestive system is really important to immune function,鈥� Rafie said.
鈥淢any people don鈥檛 associate the two, but 70-80% of immune system lies in our GI tract. You need a healthy microbiome in the digestive tract, which fermented yogurt and such can give,鈥� Rafie said.
Other possibilities are sauerkraut that hasn鈥檛 been pasteurized, kimchi and buttermilk.
But overall, Rafie said it is important to watch how much you are eating, and keep an eye on the scale.
鈥淏eing obese has lots of health consequences. It also has consequences on your immune function,鈥� Rafie said.
Before the pandemic, many had regular routines that kept them eating healthy and exercising. While that doesn鈥檛 always work with pandemic restrictions, Rafie said it鈥檚 time to create a new normal and get back into healthy habits.
