The examine examined the connection between phytochemical consumption, intestine microbiota, and the chance of COVID-19 illness amongst non-obese 25-45-year-old topics with out comorbidities.
Outcomes advised that greater consumption of whole polyphenols, particular lignans resembling secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol, in addition to whole phytosterols and subclasses stigmasterols and β-sitosterols, was related to a decrease danger of COVID-19.
Significance
The authors of the brand new examine observe that the pandemic highlighted the necessity to cut back susceptibility to infections, even amongst youthful and more healthy people.
Earlier analysis has discovered that good dietary standing is perhaps handled as a measure of resilience towards pathogens resembling SARS-CoV-2.
Food regimen elements, notably antioxidants and anti inflammatory brokers like polyphenols and phytosterols, have been proven to have immune-boosting and antiviral properties.
Earlier analysis has demonstrated that dietary polyphenols can have an effect on dendritic cells, improve the proliferation of B cells and T cells, and would possibly alter the phenotype of macrophages thus having an immunomodulatory impact.
Phytosterols notably have therapeutic potential in opposition to oxidative stress, intestine dysbiosis, and irritation.
Plant-based diets wealthy in phytochemicals have additionally been discovered to assist in lipid metabolism regulation counteracting virus entry into the cell and virus propagation.
Regardless of prior investigations into how diet impacts COVID-19, the authors of the examine observe that there is a lack of analysis exploring the potential of particular compounds like lignans and phytosterols in interacting with the immune system and viral infections.
They state: “Though earlier analysis explored how sure dietary elements might have an effect on COVID-19 an infection by way of modulation of the immune system, to the perfect of our information there isn’t a examine that investigated the potential of particular person lignans and phytosterols in interacting with the immune system from the gastrointestinal tract, and in affecting viral infections, together with SARS-CoV-2.
“We aimed to carry out the examine analyzing the affiliation of dietary consumption of polyphenols and plant sterols with the abundance of immunomodulatory intestine microbiota resembling Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli and with the chance of contraction of the illness amongst bodily lively, non-obese early adults and early middle-aged topics with out comorbidities.”
The examine
The examine was carried out between July and November 2020 on 95 contributors, 73 males (76.8%) and 22 ladies (23.2%), aged 25–45 years (imply = 34.66, SD = 5.76), each fourth of whom (n = 24) have contracted COVID-19.
Respondents have been instructed to not change their day by day routine, together with consuming habits and bodily train patterns
Throughout a 1-week follow-up, contributors tracked their bodily exercise, whole vitality expenditure (TEE), and sleep length utilizing a Polar M430 watch, in addition to holding dietary information.
Stool samples have been collected for intestine microbiome testing, core parts of anthropometry and physique composition have been recorded in addition to contributors have been requested to finish a socio-demographic questionnaire.
Dietary polyphenol, lignan, and plant sterol intakes have been retrieved based mostly on the quantity of meals consumed by the contributors, and the phytochemical content material assessed in laboratory evaluation and utilizing out there databases.
The authors concluded: “For all investigated polyphenols and phytosterols, besides campesterol, each unit improve within the tertile of consumption class was related to a lower within the odds of contracting COVID-19.
“The chance discount ranged from a number of dozen p.c to 70 %, relying on the person plant-based chemical, and after controlling for fundamental covariates it was statistically vital for secoisolariciresinol (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11–0.61), whole phytosterols (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.22–0.95) and for stigmasterols (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14–0.72).
“We discovered an inverse affiliation between elevated β-sitosterol consumption and phytosterols in whole and the incidence of Escherichia coli in stool samples exterior reference values, with 72% (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.08–0.86) and 66% (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10–1.08) decreased odds of irregular degree of micro organism for the best in contrast with the bottom tertile of phytochemical consumption.”
The authors concluded: “The outcomes of the present examine help the speculation {that a} food plan wealthy in phytosterols and polyphenols, together with lignans, may also help to scale back the chance of COVID-19 contraction.”
They hypothesise that findings counsel that prime consumption of their a number of representatives, specifically β-sitosterol and lariciresinol, could also be positively related to the presence at a related degree of some strains of commensal micro organism species resembling Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. which help the immune system.
They observe that varied phytochemicals can have a differential impact on intestine microbiome and influenza-like illnesses, and due to this fact, additional analysis is required to discover these outcomes in relation to the bioavailability of particular phytosterols and lignans.
Journal: Frontiers in Vitamin
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1241016/full
“Affiliation of dietary consumption of polyphenols, lignans, and phytosterols with immune-stimulating microbiota and COVID-19 danger in a gaggle of Polish women and men”
Authors: Agnieszka Micek, Izabela Bolesławska, Paweł Jagielski, Kamil Konopka, Anna Waśkiewicz, Anna Maria Witkowska, Juliusz Przysławski and Justyna Godos.
