Since the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued a news release on July 23rd stating that hospitalizations for COVID-19 doubled in two weeks, we thought it would be a good idea to share what we know about nutrition & COVID-19.
The immune system thrives when we have enough Vitamin D, zinc, iron, and vitamins A, B12, B6, C and E. Those vitamins and minerals are found in different foods, so the more variety of nutrient-dense foods we eat, the better.
TNT clients learned a lot in 2020 about how to decrease their individual COVID risk by taking our micronutrient test. This test is different than the test you can get are your doctors office, which tests serum blood. Serum tests gives a snapshot of 24 hours, as our tests give us an intracellular glimpse of three to four months of actual micronutrients. TNT’s micronutrient test tells you which vitamins and minerals you’re deficient in and how to improve your levels through foods or supplements. “A balanced system that meets all micronutrient needs will be on its A game when fighting infections”, says Health Educator, Shannon Montecino. “We found that Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and zinc play a big part in prevention, and we might have missed the need to supplement if we did not have this test available.”
We also learned in 2020 that people who have obesity are at increased risk for death due to COVID-19. Basically, it boils down to inflammation and hormones. You can read our post from last year that breaks down the research on that.
The World Health Organization’s nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak has not changed. Here the highlights:
- Eat 2 cups of fruit & 2.5 cups of vegetables every day
- Eat 180 grams of grains (about 6.3 ounces) every day. 1 ounce of grains is equal to a slice of bread, ½ cup couscous, oatmeal, or quinoa, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 3 cups popped popcorn.
- Eat 160 g of protein foods (about 5.6 ounces) every day. 1 ounce of protein is equal to an ounce of meat, fish, chicken, or turkey, ¼ cup of cooked beans, peas, or lentils, 1 egg, a tablespoon of nut butter, 6 tablespoons of hummus, or ¼ cup tofu.
- Choose raw, unprocessed snacks and limit added sugar and salt
- Drink 8-10 cups of water every day
- Choose plant-based fats instead of animal fats
Take-away
After a year, we’ve got some real data under our belts. We can even point to specific micronutrients that play a role in immune health, so we don’t have to settle with general recommendations for an immune-boosting diet. Supplementing randomly with various brands and doses of micronutrients can be dangerous. Deficiency isn’t good for us, but neither is toxicity. That’s where micronutrient testing comes in. “Let us help you save money and be the most effective with your efforts,” Shannon says.
We are not medical doctors and this is dietitian dietary recommendations.
Recent Comments