Researchers certify the importance of choosing a Mediterranean diet as a factor to reduce the risk of contagion from Covid-19.
On more than one occasion we have talked about the importance of food and nutrition in the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic. Affirmations endorsed by experts in the field now ratified by a new scientific study.
And it is that the Mediterranean diet could reduce the chances of contagion of Coronavirus by more than half.
Specifically, this study has been developed by the University of Navarra, in which 9,677 people have participated. The conclusion of the same indicates that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of contagion of Covid-19 by up to 64%.
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It is the first epidemiological investigation in the world that shows in a contrasted way how an adequate diet and its multiple benefits act as a protector against Covid-19.
In this sense, the main authors of this pioneering research work in the world are: Rafael Pérez Araluce, who graduated in Pharmacy and Nutrition from the University of Navarra, and Dr. Silvia Carlos, vice-dean of students of the same Faculty, also a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the Faculty of Medicine.
Thus, Dr. Silvia Carlos points out that in order to carry out this study it was necessary to identify a large number of participants who had a medical diagnosis of contagion together with positive results for Covid-19; in a period between February and December 2020.
Health professionals were excluded, given the high exposure to the infection that, unfortunately, they had had. If we had included them, the results would have been distorted and it would not be possible to obtain public health recommendations for the entire population.
explains the doctor from the Faculty of Medicine.
Keys in diet to reduce the risk of infection
The researchers evaluated the eating habits of the participants by a score of 0 to 9 for adherence to the Mediterranean diet, based on the ‘Trichopoulos score’; This is a nine-item index established by the professor at the University of Athens, Antona Trichopoulou, known as the mother of the Mediterranean diet.
Thus, Dr. Silvia Carlos states that:
the ten-year follow-up of these SUN Project participants is what allowed us a few months ago to analyze the hypothesis of whether adherence to the Mediterranean diet could protect against Covid-19 infection.
He then explains that:
we were able to observe that participants with intermediate adherence (= 4 and <7) had a significantly lower probability of developing Covid-19 than those with low adherence. On the other hand, those who had a higher adherence (= 7) had the lowest risk, compared to those participants with 3 or fewer points.
It should be noted that adherence to this pattern in the mechanism developed by Trichopuolou is measured according to the existence of a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats, fruits, nuts, legumes, cereals, fish, and vegetables; and lower consumption of meat, dairy, and moderate alcohol intake.
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