What to eat against Novel Coronavirus?

[Author] 

SEOK WOO YANG, MD & PhD (E.mail: soplab@outlook.kr)

 

[Date] 

2020.02.18

 

[Content]

 These days, Feb. in 2019, 2019-nCoV (Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19) is one of the hottest issues all over the world. One reason for the hottest issue must be absence of decisive therapeutic vaccine or drug as now. And so there are many rumors or folk remedies to fight for COVID-19.

 

 To eat properly is a pivotal component to overcome most infectious diseases, for nutrition to enhance immunity comes from food intake. 

 

 However, it is not easy to eat wholesome foods tailored to each person. 

 

 But a few almost unanimously valid principles can be applied to select wholesome foods suitable for each person:

1. No allergic food material.

2. Food to improve insulin resistance.

3. Food rich in vitamins and minerals to maintain body wellness.

4. Food components to enhance immunity against virus. 

 

 The kind of food to satisfy the four above conditions may be the ‘Mediterranean diet’. Mediterranean diet has a property to enhance immunity [1] 

 

 Among four conditions, the 4th conditional food includes bitter herbs in terms of wisdom from Passover [2]. 

 As of Feb. 2020, the known herbs to have antiviral activity against Coronavirus 229E in-vitro are Lycoris radiata, Artemisia annua, Pyrrosia lingua, Lindera, Bupleurum spp, Heteromorpha spp, Scrophularia scorodonia, Isatis indigotica, Torreya nucifera, Scutellarein, Erigeron breviscapus, and Houttuynia cordata [3]. (Refer to https://gracelive.tistory.com/19)

 

 (Caution! as now, there is no proof that these herbs are applicable to Novel Coronavirus.)

 

 These herbs seem to be attractive for many peoples to want to be safe from Novel Coronavirus.   

 

 However, I do not think that these herbs are not the panacea(cure-all). Rather I think that edible bitter herbs have antiviral and antibacterial components. 

 

 Hence, I recommend bitter herbs and vegetables to boost immunity against Novel Coronavirus. 

 

 The commonly available bitter herbs and vegetables are chicory, ginger, garlic, onion, perilla leaf, chrysanthemum tea, etc. 

 

 For example, garlic contains an abundant l-cysteine amino acid, which is used to make mucolytics to treat bronchitis. Furthermore, garlic has an attribute to improve peripheral circulation.

 

 In that Novel coronavirus infection is more susceptible in the patients with coexisting underlying diseases, proper wholesome nutrition diet is more necessary.

 

 Like so, although the Mediterranean diet with bitter herbs and vegetables is not a therapeutic drug, these may be helpful to overcome Novel Coronavirus.

 

[Summary]

To boost up immunity against viral infectious disease, the Mediterranean diet with bitter herbs and vegetables is recommended.

 

 (About Passover, refer to   https://gracelive.tistory.com/2?category=838022)

 (For mediterranean diet, refer to https://gracelive.tistory.com/25)

Reference

[1] Casas R. Sacandella E, Estruch R.The Immune Protective Effect of the Mediterranean Diet against Chronic Low-grade inflammatory Diseases. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2016 Dec; 14(4): 245-54. 
[2] Yang SW. PASSOVER DAY - Medical Interpretation by a Pathologist -. copyright C-2013-017025. 2013.
[3] Cheng PW, Ng LT, Chiang LC, Lin CC. Antiviral effects of saikosaponins on human coronavirus 229E in vitro. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006 Jul;33(7):612-6.