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Nutrients
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Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle
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Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2022) | Viewed by 20351

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shaw Watanabe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Asia Pacific Clinical Nutrition Society, Life Science Promoting Association, Tokyo 160-0015, Japan
Interests: COVID-19 and variants; regional lifestyle and different prevalence; severity; mortality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 has spread globally since WHO declared it as a pandemic in January 2020. As of July 2021, 186 million people have been PCR positive worldwide, and more than 4 million have died of pneumonia or other complications. During the same period, several variants have occurred. In Japan, the British type (a), South-African type (b), Brazilian type, and Indian type (d) are spreading. The case mortality rate of COVID-19 varies between countries, from less than 1% to 5% or higher. Typically, 90% of infected people are cured, 10% become severe, and 1-2% die globally. However, in Asia, the disease severity appears to be lower. It seems that the innate immune response is more effective due to intestinal microbiota in rice-eating countries.

The variability of death is related to several factors, such as medical care, the social system, and the vaccine coverage rate. Studies of SARS-Cov-2 have been extensive, but the analysis of host factors leading to a cure, aggravation, or death is scarce. Obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cardiovascular diseases are significant risk factors. The outcome of infection, its onset, and the healing process are closely related to individual biological defense systems, including immunity. Lifestyles, especially diet, can influence this. The protective role of vitamins and food supplements or active substances in vegetables and fruits has been indicated.

The Special Issue of the Nutrients focuses on the host-side reactions in the complicated SARS-Cov-2 variants pandemic. It aims to discuss protective factors against COVID-19, including the immune response after infection and its effect on the healing process. Cultural problems and new strategies after the corona pandemic society are discussed.

Prof. Dr. Shaw Watanabe
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dietary habits
  • nutrition
  • lifestyle
  • supplements
  • host biomarkers
  • intestinal microbiota
  • innate immunity
  • vaccine response
  • public health
  • pathology
  • epidemiology
  • host genetic factors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 32010 KiB  
Article
Influence of Nutritional Intakes in Japan and the United States on COVID-19 Infection
by Yasuo Kagawa
Nutrients 2022, 14(3), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030633 - 1 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5068
Abstract
The U.S. and Japan are both democratic industrialized societies, but the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths per million people in the U.S. (including Japanese Americans) are 12.1-times and 17.4-times higher, respectively, than those in Japan. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
The U.S. and Japan are both democratic industrialized societies, but the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths per million people in the U.S. (including Japanese Americans) are 12.1-times and 17.4-times higher, respectively, than those in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diet on preventing COVID-19 infection. An analysis of dietary intake and the prevalence of obesity in the populations of both countries was performed, and their effects on COVID-19 infection were examined. Approximately 1.5-times more saturated fat and less eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid are consumed in the U.S. than in Japan. Compared with food intakes in Japan (100%), those in the U.S. were as follows: beef 396%, sugar and sweeteners 235%, fish 44.3%, rice 11.5%, soybeans 0.5%, and tea 54.7%. The last four of these foods contain functional substances that prevent COVID-19. The prevalence of obesity is 7.4- and 10-times greater in the U.S. than in Japan for males and females, respectively. Mendelian randomization established a causal relationship between obesity and COVID-19 infection. Large differences in nutrient intakes and the prevalence of obesity, but not racial differences, may be partly responsible for differences in the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 between the U.S. and Japan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle)
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25 pages, 5166 KiB  
Article
Food Habits and Lifestyle of Romanians in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Valentin Năstăsescu, Magdalena Mititelu, Tiberius Iustinian Stanciu, Doina Drăgănescu, Nicoleta Diana Grigore, Denisa Ioana Udeanu, Gabriela Stanciu, Sorinel Marius Neacșu, Cristina Elena Dinu-Pîrvu, Eliza Oprea and Manuela Ghica
Nutrients 2022, 14(3), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030504 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4168
Abstract
The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has produced significant changes in socio-cultural life, diet, and interpersonal relationships across the world’s population. The present study aims to identify changes in lifestyle and diet among the Romanian population one year after the onset of [...] Read more.
The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has produced significant changes in socio-cultural life, diet, and interpersonal relationships across the world’s population. The present study aims to identify changes in lifestyle and diet among the Romanian population one year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire with 58 items (addressing the following aspects: socio-demographic and anthropometric data, current eating habits, and lifestyle changes) was distributed using institutional mailing lists and social media. A total number of 2040 respondents participated in the study, of whom 1464 were women, and 576 men. Among the respondents, 1598 came from urban areas and 442 from rural areas. The processing of the collected data showed significant changes in the behavior of the respondents caused by the pandemic situation with psycho-affective changes in some cases. The number of people who had anxiety, depression and nervousness increased by up to 20%. The majority of respondents (over 57%) were up to 30 years old, either students (43.50%) or employees going to workplaces (33.20%). Analyzing eating habits, we found that diet modification was needed to increase the daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish, and seafood. Regarding weight status during the pandemic, we noticed that 34.7% of normal-weight respondents said that they gained weight while 49.7% of overweight people and 52.5% of obese people said that they gained weight (p < 0.0001). Regarding psycho-emotional behavior, 11.81% of the surveyed women stated that they frequently had depressive states during the pandemic period and 11.63% of the men stated that they frequently presented depressive states during the pandemic (p = 0.005). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle)
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Review

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17 pages, 377 KiB  
Review
Modifiable Host Factors for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: Diet and Lifestyle/Diet and Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of COVID-19
by Sawako Hibino and Kazutaka Hayashida
Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091876 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3439
Abstract
Many studies have shown that the immune system requires adequate nutrition to work at an optimal level. Not only do optimized nutritional strategies support the immune system, but they also reduce chronic inflammation. Nutritional supplements that are recommended for patients with critical illnesses [...] Read more.
Many studies have shown that the immune system requires adequate nutrition to work at an optimal level. Not only do optimized nutritional strategies support the immune system, but they also reduce chronic inflammation. Nutritional supplements that are recommended for patients with critical illnesses are thought to also be effective for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the intensive care unit. Some studies have recommended fresh fruits and vegetables, soy, nuts, and antioxidants, such as omega-3 fatty acids, to improve immune system activity. Although nutritional status is considered to be an important prognostic factor for patients with COVID-19, there is to date no sufficient evidence that optimal nutritional therapies can be beneficial for these patients. Some have argued that the COVID-19 pandemic is a good opportunity to test the effectiveness of nutritional intervention for infectious diseases. Many researchers have suggested that testing the proposed nutritional approaches for infectious diseases in the context of a pandemic would be highly informative. The authors of other review papers concluded that it is important to have a diet based on fresh foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and healthy fats (i.e., olive oil and fish oil), and to limit the intake of sugary drinks as well as high-calorie and high-salt foods. In this review, we discuss the clinical significance of functional food ingredients as complementary therapies potentially beneficial for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. We believe that our review will be helpful to plan and deploy future studies to conclude these potentials against COVID-19, but also to new infectious diseases that may arise in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle)
11 pages, 293 KiB  
Review
Why and How the Indo-Mediterranean Diet May Be Superior to Other Diets: The Role of Antioxidants in the Diet
by Ram B. Singh, Jan Fedacko, Ghizal Fatima, Aminat Magomedova, Shaw Watanabe and Galal Elkilany
Nutrients 2022, 14(4), 898; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040898 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6818
Abstract
The Seven Countries Study showed that traditional Japanese and Mediterranean diets are protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The Japanese diet is considered the healthiest because it provides Japanese populations with the highest longevity and health. DASH and Mediterranean-style diets are also considered healthy [...] Read more.
The Seven Countries Study showed that traditional Japanese and Mediterranean diets are protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The Japanese diet is considered the healthiest because it provides Japanese populations with the highest longevity and health. DASH and Mediterranean-style diets are also considered healthy diets, although the Indo-Mediterranean-style diet may provide better protective effects among patients with CVDs compared to other diets. The concept of the Indo-Mediterranean type of diet was developed after examining its role in the prevention of CVDs in India, the value of which was confirmed by a landmark study from France: the Lyon Heart Study. These workers found that consuming an alpha-linolenic acid-rich Mediterranean-style diet can cause a significant decline in CVDs and all-cause mortality. Later in 2018, the PREDIMED study from Spain also reported that a modified Mediterranean-style diet can cause a significant decline in CVDs, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and cancer. The Indo-Mediterranean diet may be superior to DASH and Mediterranean diets because it contains millets, porridge, and beans, as well as spices such as turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and coriander, which may have better anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. These foods are rich sources of nutrients, flavonoids, calcium, and iron, as well as proteins, which are useful in the prevention of under- and overnutrition and related diseases. It is known that DASH and Mediterranean-style diets have a similar influence on CVDs. However, the Indo-Mediterranean-style diet may be as good as the Japanese diet due to improved food diversity and the high content of antioxidants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modifiable Host Factors to Prevent COVID-19 Pandemic: Diet and Lifestyle)
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