According to two U.S. medical researchers, the so-called “Blue Zone” diet is an effective way to prevent corona vaccine breakthroughs and prevent severe courses. This is indicated by recent studies, according to scientists.
A poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle significantly increase the likelihood of a severe Covid 19 course. In turn, choosing the right foods appears to have a substantial protective effect – even to the point of preventing Covid 19 infection when fully vaccinated. The two U.S. physicians Prof. Hana Kahleova and Prof. Neal Barnard have now published a commentary in the scientific journal “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” which should encourage people in times of Corona to switch to the “Blue Zone” diet.1 The “diet of the centenarians” could help ward off the coronavirus.
What is the “Blue Zone” diet?
There are five regions where people live to an above-average age and enjoy the best physical and mental health. These include, for example, the Italian island of Sardinia or the Greek island of Ikaria. What do the so-called Blue Zoners have in common? They exercise daily, have strong family ties, and have a penchant for spirituality. Their diet is also striking, consisting of regional and seasonal products, lots of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and some fish. Only rarely do red meat, white flour products, or sweets end up on the plate. People eat regularly, but always in small portions. Enjoyment is also a top priority, so small glass of red wine is included in the evening, if at all. The rules are simple: eat what nature has in store for you in your immediate surroundings, don’t process it beyond recognition, and eat it with love.
If you live like a Blue Zoner, you are better protected from Corona
A mainly plant-based diet is an essential key to a long life. In terms of pandemic control, it “represents the most cost-effective approach and should be widely promoted and integrated into daily practice,” the two scientists stress. “It’s a booster that’s needed at this unprecedented time and may help mitigate Covid-19.” Their assertion: diet and lifestyle changes can be easily made and may save lives. To support their thesis, Kahleova and Barnard present some studies.
How a healthy diet protects against severe covid 19 events
For example, a comprehensive data analysis of 592,571 people shows that a healthy plant-based diet (such as one based on the Blue Zone principle) was associated with a nine percent lower likelihood of infection, as well as a 41 percent lower risk of a severe course.2 Dietary data from 568 Covid 19 cases and 2316 controls from the U.S. and Europe even come to a 73 percent lower risk of moderate-to-severe corona disease.3
Why hardly anyone dies of corona in the “blue zone” of Okinawa
People in Okinawa, Japan, for example, eat a predominantly plant-based diet rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, with more than half of their daily caloric intake coming from sweet potatoes. They also consume plenty of leafy green vegetables, soy products, and very little fat. Strikingly for the two authors, the corona mortality rate in this Blue Zone is just 0.08 percent.4 In Germany, it’s 1.53 percent, and worldwide it’s 1.88 percent – so it’s many times higher.5 For the physicians, therefore, it’s clear: “A healthy plant-based diet is an important tool to reduce mortality.”
Primary source: fitbook.de, other sources: Kahleova, H., Barnard, N.D. (2022). Can a plant-based diet help mitigate Covid-19? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Merino J., Joshi A.D., Nguyen L.H. et al. (2021). Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study. MedRxiv. Kim H., Rebholz C.M., Hegde S., et al. (2021). Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets, and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case-control study in six countries. BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. Statista (2021). Japan: coronavirus cases and deaths by prefecture. Statista (2022). Letalitätsrate beim Coronavirus (COVID-19) in den am stärksten betroffenen Ländern.
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