New research: Diet, exercise and fasting limit the development of Covid-19

Lifestyle can be a cause of illness. A lifestyle based on three important pillars of health, such as antioxidant diet, exercise and fasting, can limit the progression of the disease by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The study was carried out in collaboration with the laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry-Biotechnology of the University of Thessaly and was published in the international journal Antioxidants. The correlation between lung genetic predisposition and lifestyle was evaluated in relation to the differentiation of Covid-19 disease symptoms in each patient.

For example, obesity is a chronic disease with serious consequences for a person’s health. Obese people are more likely to have more severe coronavirus symptoms, as organisms with chronic inflammation can develop acute lung disease. In contrast, a balanced lifestyle reduces the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, while strengthening the immune system.

Lifestyle change

According to the study, lifestyle changes begin with the addition of regular physical activity, a diet rich in antioxidants and fasting. Such changes have been shown to improve fitness and health. Therefore, habits for a healthy daily life are taken as prevention measures by the new coronavirus.

Diet with antioxidants

The use of specific compounds with antioxidant power could reduce the infectivity of Covid-19 and provide strong antioxidant protection to the body.

The administration of N-acetylcysteine ​​(NAC), a sulfur-based amino acid required to make glutathione, can be used as a therapeutic proposal. In addition to NAC, the administration of whey protein seems to be a promising idea for enhancing the antioxidant status of the host and for limiting the progression or as a means of preventing COVID-19 disease. Specifically, whey protein derived from sheep, has a positive effect in a variety of experimental environments, cell lines and in vivo studies, while its results are very promising. It is considered to be a powerful antioxidant and to protect against inflammation, especially from the low-grade inflammatory condition, which makes the elderly vulnerable to COVID-19.

In addition, several studies, in vitro and in vivo, have shown that many foods rich in polyphenols can have a positive effect on oxidative stress markers. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants and are found mainly in plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables, but also in their derivatives, such as wine and olive oil. Therefore, they can enhance antioxidant defenses, and their intake through diet could be a potential defense mechanism against SARS-CoV-2.

Physical exercise

In the last 10 years, several studies have found that exercise can help the respiratory system. Regular physical activity has been shown to promote the activation of the body’s antioxidant mechanisms. More specifically, aerobic exercise activates the production of an antioxidant enzyme, dismutase peroxide (EcSOD), which breaks down the peroxide root in healthy and obese people or people with type 2 diabetes. SOD is the only antioxidant enzyme that breaks down O2 root to H2O2 and thus deactivates it.

In addition, regular aerobic exercise can increase the levels of the most important antioxidant molecules, GSH and GPx, where the latter uses GSH to neutralize free radicals, which are particularly harmful to the body. Whether a systematic long-term exercise routine could reduce the risk of death from COVID-19 needs to be further investigated. However, based on the available scientific data, it is suggested that a fit person is more likely to have a strong antioxidant environment where viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, can show milder symptoms and be treated more immediately.

Fasting

The human body is led to fasting during sleep, about 8 to 10 hours a day. Fasting can be performed for health reasons but also for religious reasons. It is divided into two categories, intermittent and prolonged fasting.

The most common is intermittent fasting, where the fasting period is 14-20 hours. Note that studies in healthy individuals, as well as in patients suffering from diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity, intermittent fasting had positive effects on the body, ie there were changes in weight, insulin and growth hormone.

Extensive literature review of the present study concludes that there is good evidence that fasting improves pathological conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Based on this finding, patients who become infected with the coronavirus are more likely to have milder effects and reduced disease mortality rates.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can mitigate the spread of the pandemic, as exercise, diet and fasting shield the body. In addition, the effort to change the daily routine, ensures a good function of the genes of the lung and the redox system.

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Source

The Importance of Redox Status in the Frame of Lifestyle Approaches and the Genetics of the Lung Innate Immune Molecules, SP-A1 and SP-A2, on Differential Outcomes of COVID-19 Infection