Negative calorie foods are neither there nor expected
The data from
Google Trends
make it clear: searches for "immunity in food and beverages" have increased by approximately 500% after the appearance of
Covid-19.
And it is that the
pandemic
has intensified what was already a trend: to include in our diet products that stimulate the immune system and strengthen it against viruses and infections.
According to a Mintel investigation, the health situation has led 45% of Europeans to add more nutrients to their diet, and 29% to be more interested in foods that can
help their defenses.
A figure that in Spain rises to 55.92%, according to a survey carried out this summer by the Equisalud Laboratory.
Data that is not surprising if we consider that "more than 80% of the cells of
the immune system
are associated with the intestine, so any change in diet or the
intestinal microbiota
could directly affect the functioning of the immune system", they explain Susan Bueno, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, and Claudia Riedel, both researchers at the Millennium Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy (IMII) and authors of the book 'Medicine in your kitchen: how food benefits your immune system' (Ediciones UC).
And data that also confirm the rise of food supplements to support the diet that, according to the Equisalud report, 62.50% of those surveyed take "as prevention, to reinforce health and stay in an optimal state".
Natural antibiotics?
But are there really foods, or supplements, with sufficient properties to cure infectious diseases?
As Susan Bueno and Claudia Riedel say, some are rich in antimicrobial substances and can help prevent infection, and "many compounds have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and recognized as safe."
However, it is not that easy.
Among these foods that help are, according to both researchers, "oregano, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, garlic, onion, ginger, blueberries, raspberries, honey bee and coconut oil, among many others. "
Powered foods
But ... although "there are eating patterns that help the
immune system,
the attribution of great effects to a single food is more of a commercial maneuver than a scientific reality," says Dr.
Miguel Ángel Martínez-González
, epidemiologist, specialized in Medicine Preventive and Public Health and author of the book 'What do you eat? Science and conscience to resist ', a work in which he analyzes the Mediterranean diet and also reveals "the myths with commercial interest behind everything that is
superfoods
."
So, does it have a scientific basis to try to strengthen our defenses with diet or is it a 'Chinese story'? We asked
Dr. Martínez-González
.
"Neither one nor the other", he replies.
"There is a basis, but when the entire orchestra is considered and not a single food or nutrient. The important thing is the
complete
eating pattern
. Specifically, the Mediterranean diet, considered as a whole, reduces the risk of becoming infected with Covid-19", as he assures in one of his studies for the University of Navarra.
Mediterranean diet, the best medicine
That is, the best way is the best way to help our
immune system
with food is, according to the expert, to return "to the
traditional
Mediterranean diet
, that of our grandparents."
Thus, he explains, if the objective is to strengthen our defenses, it is best to opt for "foods that are nutritionally richer in nutrients and beneficial bioactive plant elements."
That is, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole wheat bread, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish,
probiotics and prebiotics such
as yogurt.
But, he insists, "the whole set."
However, the antimicrobial properties of food are not enough to cure infectious diseases and when a disease is suspected, a doctor should always be consulted.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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