Here is exactly how a plant-based diet can protect you from the disease, according to experts
Two registered dietitians explain how to eat more plants can reduce inflammation and support your immune system.
During these unprecedented times, the need to support yourimmune system proves to be essential for survival and what you now eat more than ever before.
Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables not only allows you to stay lean, but more importantly, you can also help you push chronic and infectious diseases. We called the experts,Ashley Kitchens, MPH, RD, LDN andSydney Greene, MS, RD, to explain the relationship between a diet and a plant-based illness.
Can you explain how can poor diet contribute to adverse health complications with COVID-19?
To be clear, we do not suggest that an unhealthy regime is what requires people to have adverse health complications with COVID-19 - there are many risk factors that doctors and epidemiologists still do not know the sickness. However, it has become clear that those with underlying conditions, some of which are attributable to poor eating habits, are at higher risk of fatality of COVID-19.
"People with serious cardiavascular problems, such as cardiovascular disease and a 40-year body mass index or higher fall in the category of those at a higher risk of serious illness and unfavorable complications of CVIV-19 "," Kitchens said. "Bad eating habits and other lifestyle factors can play an important role in determining its risk of heart disease and BMI, which puts people in the high-risk group of serious illness. COVID-19. "
How can the plan affect the immune function?
Greene says that one of the key signs that your diet negatively affects yourimmune system is an inflammation.
"Inflammation is part of the body's defense mechanism and plays a role in the healing process," she says. "Chronic inflammation has been demonstrated to play a role in various diseases such as diabetes, allergies and cardiovascular disease."
With this, there are specific foods that cause inflammation and others who work to reduce it. These are called anti-inflammatory foods, which include a range of herbal foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, as well as seeds and nuts, rich in inflammatory fightingOMEGA-3 fatty acids.
"All the nutrients and chemical compounds found in the plants do wonders to restore balance in the body," she says.
The kitchens adds that eating plant derived foods have essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants, which you can not get other types of food.
"Rich plant foods help strengthen your immune system and critical nutrients of plants work to resolve inflammation of your body," she explains. "Phytochemicals and antioxidants stimulate your immune system and help neutralize pollution toxins, processed foods, bacteria, viruses and more."
Foods that can cause an inflammatory response in the body are those that are strongly treated, so think Velveeta,Small Debbie snacksand Cheetos. These are these foods that could cause you to become more likely to chronic and infectious diseases because of the way they canweakenYour immune system.
"Transformed foods, with their high sugar levels, omega-6 fatty acids, excess sodium and junky additives, on the other hand, can stubborn the fire of inflammation," says Greene."When inflammation is high, it taxes the immune system leaving us more likely to disease and disease."
How can the adoption of a factory-based diet help those who have underlying conditions violate the disease?
"A herbal diet can be a powerful tool in your toolbox," says Cuisines. "It has been shown that it has been demonstrated to help improve several risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and inflammation. A plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of these conditions of health that place people in the high-risk group for COVID -19 "
In other words, the time to adopt a diet comprising more herbal foods is now, and not because it will cure you from COVID-19, but it could help treat chronic conditions under- (Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, especially) that put as many people at risk of having unfavorable complications with the new coronavirus.
"We can not ignore the power of plants," says the kitchens. "If we examine the pockets of people around the world with the highest life expectancy, they consume a diet centered around plants."
Greene also emphasizes another important aspect of plant foods, it is a huge source of polyphenols.
"Polyphenols are a form of micronutrients packaged with antioxidants as well as other chemical compounds that can combat the disease," she says.
For you to get a wide variety of beneficial nutrients, Greene suggests eating at least four different colors of fruits and vegetables each day. For example, you could top your morning bowl fromgroats With raspberries and blueberries, then, for lunch, part of your meal could include a handful of Garnic Greens, skipped, as well as carrots with hummus. There, you have it, four colors (red, blue, green, orange) all ingested before 1 p.
Do you think we will see a change in people heading for herbal diet during or after this pandemic?
This is a difficult question to answer because it depends heavily on whether people are willing to change their current diet. However, both kitchens and Greene are optimistic that this change could potentially occur naturally.
"I think people are forced to become creative in their kitchens as well as in the grocery store," says Greene. "With the lack of animal protein available, consumers must now tryPlant-based proteins Sources such as beans and grains. "
This is true, some of the biggest processing facilities for the nation have temporarily closed because of manyPositive Test Workers for COVID-19. As a result, it is possible that there can be ascarcity of meat In the near future, especially if this pandemic persists.
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If something, health experts hope that this pandemic will help people understand how crucial it is to feed your body with nutritious,immune proof food.
"With this pandemic, we have come to realize the importance of our health and what we can do to protect it and support it as much as possible," says the kitchens.
Not to mention that the consumption of your meat and your cheese will not only help reduce your cholesterol, but that will probably make yourGrocery Bill a little cheaper.
"Launch a vegetable vegetable salad or the preparation of a stew with lots of beans and vegetables is a very simple, cheap and effective way to feed our body," says Greene. "I hope people realize that."