EXPERT TIPS ON NUTRITION PRINCIPLES FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19

Nutrition plays an important role in overall human development, helping the body strengthen the immune system, improve physical condition and fight disease. In the context of the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, applying an appropriate nutrition regimen is essential to boost each person’s resistance.

According to Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop – President of the Vietnam Nutrition Association and former Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, below are several nutritional principles that help maintain a healthy immune system and thereby prevent COVID-19, which everyone should apply.

Nutritional principles in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

Nutrition for COVID-19 prevention simply means reasonable nutrition tailored to each person (by age, sex, and any existing chronic disease…).

The first principle is to eat a variety of foods, providing sufficient energy, adequate protein, enough carbohydrates, controlled fats, and meeting the body’s needs for vitamins and minerals.

Drink enough water: in summer you can drink 1.5–2.5 litres of water per day, preferably warm water, sipped throughout the day rather than only when you feel thirsty. It is recommended to drink plain water, organic milk, and 100% pure organic fruit juice.

You should build healthy daily habits to strengthen immunity: exercise at home every day; get early morning sunlight (in summer, sunbathe early and avoid harsh sunlight – before 8:30 a.m.) for 15–30 minutes to help the body naturally produce vitamin D.

For children during the COVID period, it is advisable to increase their intake of organic milk and organic dairy products to meet nutritional needs for growth and disease prevention. Preschool children can drink 300–400 ml of organic milk and eat about 100 ml of organic yogurt per day. Primary school children should drink 400–600 ml of organic milk per day to provide protein and essential micronutrients.

In addition, adding nutritious drinks such as organic milk and organic fruit juice also helps strengthen the body’s resistance, especially during an epidemic.

Nutrition to boost immunity

Proactive immune–boosting nutrition means providing fully, in a timely manner and in a balanced way those nutrients that serve as building blocks for the substances and cells related to the immune system, which has enormous potential to modulate immune activity.

These “building blocks” include important substances such as antibodies IgA and IgG, essential amino acids, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin D3, beta-carotene, probiotics, pectin, tannins, certain polysaccharides, and other vitamins and minerals.

Some of these nutrients can be found in the following foods:

Vitamin D: Organic milk, egg yolks, shrimp, salmon… These foods contain a lot of vitamin D – a vitamin that should be supplemented daily to help reduce the risk of acute respiratory infections in both children and adults.

Vitamin C: An essential vitamin for the body’s immune system. Vitamin C supports cellular function in the immune response, strengthens the endothelial barrier against pathogens, and enhances antioxidant activity to protect the body. Foods rich in vitamin C include cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, guava, grapefruit, apples…

Vitamin E: Vitamin E can promote the development of immune organs and the differentiation of immune cells. Foods rich in vitamin E include seeds such as sunflower seeds, soy products, wheat, bean sprouts and other sprouts…

Zinc: Zinc helps maintain normal immune system function. Zinc deficiency leads to adverse effects on immunity such as autoimmunity, allergies, increased susceptibility to infections, and immune dysfunction affecting both innate and adaptive immunity. Foods high in zinc include beans, legumes, almonds, pork, beef, oysters, clams…

Omega-3: An essential fatty acid that the body cannot synthesise on its own, known for its anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to help keep the immune system under control. Omega-3 should be used at a dose of about 1,000–2,000 mg per day. It is abundant in products such as fish oil, cod liver oil and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds…

Eating a wide variety of food groups helps the body absorb all the essential nutrients, thereby strengthening the immune system to fight against the invasion and pathogenic effects of viruses. Among these, adding healthy drinks is an easy way to provide nutrients that are quickly absorbed while also delivering energy.

You can make your own drinks at home if you have time, or choose products from reputable brands with completely natural ingredients such as: Natumi organic plant-based milk (Germany), Joya organic plant-based milk (Austria), Lakewood organic fruit juices (USA), Organic Valley organic milk (USA), Daioni organic milk (UK), Horizon organic milk (USA)…

Find out more about these products at: https://solomonorganic.com