Long-Covid: how can nutrition help

The Covid-19 pandemic took off this year in December onwards with thousands of cases and dozens of deaths every day in Greece –and in a larger scale worldwide. Even if you have managed not to get stuck during this time, you will have seen most people from friends and family (some more than once) get sick with Covid, with milder or with more severe symptoms and among them, some with long-term symptoms that persist or appear weeks later. There have been cases with shortness of breath and fatigue diagnosed even 9 months later and the weirdest part is that we don’t know what exactly causes it and there’s no relation between the severity of the symptoms during Covid-19 sickness and Long-Covid. We’ve seen patients with mild symptoms suffer from Long-Covid and patients with severe symptoms have no trouble later on, so there’s no certainty on who will develop Long-Covid.

Most common symptoms of Long-Covid include pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, high cholesterol, hypertension, brain fog, diarrhea, loss of appetite, changes in taste and smell, a feeling of tightness in the chest, insomnia, dizziness, joint pain, tinnitus, earaches, numbness, headaches, coughs, rashes.

It has also been found that it is more common in women and that those who are overweight, smoke or vape seem to raise the risk of persistent symptoms.

So what can we do in cases of Long-Covid?

Since it’s something new for all, there’s little research. The practices used, however, are similar to those used when treating patients with similar symptoms. This means that a balanced diet with no deficiencies, that gives you the calories and energy you need every day and keeps you away from processed foods and animal fat, can surely help. According to research, plant-based diets may be of general benefit in the battle against long-Covid and reducing saturated fat intake could potentially improve long-COVID-related sleep disorders. At the same time, a plant-based diet may contribute to weight loss and a subsequent reduction in mechanical load, an important feature with regard to long-COVID-related joint and muscle pain. In general, a plant-based eating pattern could potentially be beneficial with symptoms that are often reported by individuals suffering from long-COVID, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, musculoskeletal pain and systemic inflammation.

Another theory is about the mast cell activation syndrome. As far as this theory is concerned, mast cell release histamine while responding to the infection, which in turn causes inflammation with many of the above symptoms for a long period of time. A nutrition low in histamines from foods like processed meat and fish, canned foods, fermented dairy and certain foods and vegetables could help but you certainly need the guidance of a nutritionist-dietitian in this case.

In order to fight the feeling of weakness and fatigue after being infected with Covid-19, where in some cases there’s been shown muscle mass reduction and fat accumulation, you may need to raise you protein intake a bit to maybe 1-1.2gr per kilo -protein intake shouldn’t be identified with animal protein like meat and dairy. You can get your protein from more healthy plant-based foods like beans, quinoa, chia seeds, tofu, oats, seed, nuts etc. There’s also research on the benefits of intermittent fasting, that can help in loss of fat and weight, as well as improve blood glucose, factors that can help in recovery. Note that there’s a need for guidance, so talk to a dietitian-nutritionist in order to be sure this will be done in the best possible way, to clean and rejuvenate cells and support immune system and avoid it as a solution if you’re underweight.

Loss of taste as a side-effect of Long-Covid is surely difficult and needs a little patience. Try adding foods that enhance smell in your plate, like herbs, onion, garlic etc. And also see it as a wonderful opportunity to stay away from fatty and processed foods –since you can’t even taste them, what’s the point? Choose plant-based instead.

As far as supplements are concerned in Long-Covid, vitamin D is again helpful at around 4000IU/day along with good quality omega-3. Also, healthy, balanced gut is always important in health issues so a probiotic supplement might help in the symptoms, as it will help restore gut microbiome balance. Talk to your doctor or dietitian though before deciding to take one. Other than that, there are supplements that can help with specific symptoms, like magnesium for achy muscles or fiber supplements for constipation.

As you can see, there are plenty of symptoms and a difference in the intensity from one to another. Since it’s a new thing for all of us, it’s best to consult your doctor, but also your dietitian to see how you can manage your symptoms through nutrition and a holistic approach that will help your body get stronger and support your immune system, so that it can support you as well.

Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8429479/
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/news/friendly-gut-bacteria-speeds-long-covid-recovery/
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/ND21p40.shtml


Suffering from Long-Covid? Maybe you want to take a look at the nutrition protocols of www.feedyourimmunity.com and contact me for a holistic approach.