ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Still waiting your turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said it will be most likely by the end of summer when the majority of American adults will be vaccinated. So, what can you do to protect yourself in the meantime? Ivanhoe has some foods that may help.
Over the years, green tea has been shown to improve blood flow, lower cholesterol, and prevent a variety of heart-related problems. But did you know most recently it has been shown to possibly help ward off COVID-19? Researchers at North Carolina University have found that green tea contains flavonoids, which have antiviral capabilities. Antivirals work by attaching to an enzyme in the virus and inhibiting the virus from replicating.
“It stops the application process so the virus cannot produce new genomes that then can be packaged into new viral particles,” explained Richard Plemper, PhD, a professor at Georgia State University.
In the study, the chemical compounds in green tea have been found to weaken the spike proteins that give COVID its power to infect and spread. Dark chocolate and grapes were found to do the same thing. But scientists and doctors are urging the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 is by getting the vaccine as soon as you are able to.
“When they vaccinate, it’s not just about them, but it’s also about the people very close to them,” shared Sunjoo Ahn, PhD, an associate professor of advertising at University of Georgia.
The researchers from the North Carolina University study say drinking milk while having green tea, grapes, or dark chocolate can cause the loss of the compounds with antiviral capabilities or lessen the effects of those compounds.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; and Roque Correa, Editor.
FOODS TO PREVENT COVID-19?
REPORT #2843
BACKGROUND: Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces. Scientists monitor changes in the virus, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. These studies, including genetic analyses of the virus, are helping scientists understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it. These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. Studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants.
(Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html)
NUTRITION AND COVID: A balanced diet will ensure a strong immune system that can help withstand any attack by a virus. The only supplement that is said to ‘boost’ our immune system and treat or prevent any viral infection is Vitamin C. It is one of the major ingredients of water-soluble vitamins which tends to make a strong immune system. It is necessary to be aware of the specific types of food that can improve our immune system to combat the current, COVID-19 virus. It is recommended to eat two cups daily of fruits like guava, apple, banana, strawberry, cantaloupe, grapefruit, pineapple, papaya, and orange. Also, eating two and half cups of fresh vegetables like green bell peppers, garlic, ginger, kale, lime, and broccoli. Eat 180 grams of whole grains and nuts like unprocessed maize, oats, wheat, millet, and brown rice. Red meat can be eaten once or twice per week, and poultry two to three times per week. Consume unsaturated fats found in avocado, fish, nuts, soy, olive oil, canola, corn oil, and sunflower, rather than saturated fats found in butter, fatty meat, coconut and palm oils. Drink eight to ten glasses of water every day as it helps transport nutrients in the blood, gets rid of waste, and regulates the body temperature. Be sure to avoid all fizzy, carbonated, and concentrated juices. Finally, eat at home to avoid contact with other people reducing the chance of being exposed to COVID-19.
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306972/)
NEW STUDY ON “LONG COVID”: Many patients who have been infected with COVID-19 continue to experience a long list of symptoms even after they have recovered from the initial onset of the virus. Referred to as “Long COVID”, these symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, sleep disorders, fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, and depression, and can persist for months and range from mild to debilitating. This initiative will leverage ongoing COVID-19 studies, long-term cohort studies established well before the pandemic began, and new studies of people with Long COVID. These studies aim to characterize the long-term effects of infection in a diverse set of people and the trajectory of symptoms over time. They believe that the insight gained from this research will also enhance our knowledge of the basic biology of how humans recover from infection, and improve our understanding of other chronic post-viral syndromes and autoimmune diseases, as well as other diseases with similar symptoms.
* For More Information, Contact:
Richard Plemper, PhD Sunjoo Ahn, PhD
rplemper@gsu.edu sjahn@uga.edu
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