Experts say that your immunity is related to how healthy your gut is. Hence, it is important to identify all the gut-friendly foods and include them in your diet to keep several diseases, including COVID-19 infection, at bay. MUSBA HASHMI brings you a report
It’s a no-brainer that the root cause of all our problems is in our gut. A happy gut means a happy and healthy body. In a time when immunity has taken the driver's seat and anything and everything that claims to be immunity booster is running out of the shelves at lightning speed.
But what if we tell you for a stronger immune system, all you need is to take good care of your gut. Would you mind believing it? If one has to go by the experts’ words COVID-19 is definitely related to our gut and several studies have proven it.
“Gut releases more antibodies. Hence, strengthening the gut means strengthening immunity,” Ishi Khosla, a practicing clinical nutritionist, columnist, author, an entrepreneur, researcher and welfare worker, said addressing a webinar COVID & Gut, organised by the Celiac Society of India.
Dr Neerja Hajela, Head, Science, Yakult Danone India Private Ltd, explained that there is a connection between the gut and the lungs. “Before one is tested positive for COVID, there are always some GI symptoms,” Hajela said.
Dr Pankaj Verma, Consultant Physician & Head of Department, Integrative Medicine, Mahavir Jaipuria Rajasthan Hospital, agreed with Hajela and added that almost 30 to 50 per cent COVID patients experience some kind of GI symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting.
“Also, the most common symptom is anorexia. Almost 80 per cent of patients are complaining of this symptom. It has also been observed that people with GI symptoms present with more severe form of COVID and of course a prolonged course of illness. Moreover, the susceptible group, including the elderly, Diabetics and patients with heart diseases, have some problem of the gut. So, definitely it has to be linked with COVID,” Verma explained.
In such a case, it is advisable for patients to eat light food like daliya, replenish water intake and avoid having a lot of high protein diet. “If we combine diet modification with COVID treatment, symptoms decrease and the course of the illness also shortens,” Verma said.
When one talks about gut health, it is impossible to miss the use of pre and probiotics. “The balance of good and bad bacteria is important in the gut. Probiotics mean for life . They go into the gut alive unlike other gut friendly supplements and balance the bacterial growth. They improve gut health and build gut flora and thereby helps in building immunity,” Hajela said.
Dr Tom O’Bryan, a world-renowned expert in the field of gluten-related disorders, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease and their link to other chronic conditions, including autoimmune disorders and diseases, explained that the reason behind having more bad bacteria in the gut is because of eating wrong and unhealthy food.
“All we tell people is to aim for a healthy gut. If you have arthritis or weak immune system, just build a healthy gut. It is the ultimate solution. For this, we recommend a rainbow diet, which comprise of different types of fruits and vegetables,” he said.
More often than not, we focus on adding all the greens in our diet. But Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor tells you that it is probably a Western concept and that not only the greens, but all the different colours of course make for a rainbow diet. “Onion, garlic, tomatoes, coconut, unripe bananas, unripe mangoes and apples all work wonders. These are probiotic rich and are extremely good for the gut,” Kapoor said.
For those who wonder, what is the right amount of fruits and vegetables that one has to have daily, Khosla had a piece of advice for them. “Follow the half plate rule, fill up half of your plate with vegetables of different colours and then everything else, including rice and chapatis, on the other side. Make sure you are having all the colours in a day,” she advised.