Certain foods and beverages may prolong the protection of the vaccine against Covid-19 and reduce the risk of developing the coronavirus.
- Certain foods or drinks reduce the risk of testing positive for Covid-19: these are coffee, tea and certain fruits and vegetables.
- The main reason is that they contain antioxidants.
Currently, scientists estimate the duration of protection of the vaccine to be around 6 months after the second dose. Corn a study published in the journal Nutrients believes that certain foods and drinks could prolong this immunity.
Vegetables first of all: consuming a lot of them would reduce the risk of being tested positive for coronavirus by 12%. Then, drinking two cups of coffee a day would have almost the same virtues, up to 10%. The researchers also observed this reduction in risk with tea, oily fish and fruit. “A person’s nutrition impacts immunity and the immune system plays a key role in an individual’s susceptibility and response to infectious diseases, including Covid-19,” explains Marilyn Cornelis, an author of the study.
Antioxidants protect the body’s cells
“There’s caffeine, but coffee is also made up of dozens of other compounds that could potentially explain the protective associations observed,” continues Marilyn Cornelis. Both coffee and tea contain antioxidants, that is, micronutrients that help protect the body’s cells. They are also present in many fruits and vegetables such as nectarines, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. This is one of the reasons why doctors and nutritionists recommend a varied and balanced diet to their patients.
On the other hand, fruits and vegetables contain dietary fibers which are essential for our health: they promote the growth of good intestinal bacteria, help with weight management, contribute to good digestion, limit bad blood cholesterol, etc. . According to the Vidal website, a French medical book for health professionals, the recommended daily intake for good intestinal transit is between 30 and 45 g of fibre. A good way to do this is to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day.
A study of 38,000 participants
To reach their conclusions, the researchers studied data from nearly 38,000 people aged 40 to 70 from the Biobank study conducted between 2006 and 2010. These same participants carried out coronavirus tests between March and November 2020. 17% of them tested positive for Covid-19.
.
