In the first DGA published during a global pandemic, you would think that COVID-19 would have some airtime. Unfortunately, there was only one sentence. I know that most of us are ready to see the coronavirus in our rear view mirrors, but (it’s not) yet history.
The past 10 months have shown us real-time scientific discoveries, linking preventable nutrition problems (for example, vitamin D deficiency) with COVID-19. And considering that immunity is a priority, I think it’s a lack Dietary Guidelines did not take the opportunity to inform Americans about the links between nutrition and immune function. The unique mention in the DGA explains that, “people living with chronic diet-related illnesses and conditions are at an increased risk of serious illnesses with the new coronavirus.”
I am grateful, however, that the DGAC (remember, they wrote the 835-page Scientific Report to inform the much shorter DGA) adds more color to the issue, calling two simultaneous epidemics in our country: “These parallel epidemics, one not infectious (obesity and chronic diet-related diseases) and an infectious (COVID-19), appear to be synergistic. ”
Schneeman explains that the committee faced a logistical and time challenge: “The COVID-19 pandemic emerged when the committee entered its final stages of work.” She continued, saying that “As a committee, we were impressed by the vulnerability of people with chronic diet-related illnesses (for example, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease) to the most serious results of the virus infection. In addition, the interruptions due to the pandemic resulted in food insecurity and hunger, increasing the challenges of making healthy food choices. ”
DGAC member Regan Bailey, Ph.D., MPH, RD echoes this paradox, sharing that while “nutrition is critical for immune defense and resistance to pathogens, both malnutrition and overnutrition can impair function immunological “. (Bailey is a professor in the Department of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, as well as director of the Purdue Diet Assessment Center.)
At mindbodygreen, we recently explored malnutrition in the complex problem of food insecurity, as well as overnutrition (and unhealthy nutrition patterns) in the synergy between metabolic health and immunity.
Based on these insights, I believe that embracing healthy nutrition standards, supporting food security initiatives, addressing nutrient gaps and maximizing other lifestyle factors (eg, physical activity, sleep, etc.) are powerful levers that we can choose to improve metabolic health, and therefore our immune system.
In fact, Linda Van Horn, member of DGAC, Ph.D., RDN, LD, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University and head of the Nutrition Division at Feinberg School of Medicine, highlights the fact that “now more than ever , the importance of healthy eating, weight control and prevention of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases is a goal recognized worldwide. “
Ultimately, delving deeper into the nutrition / immune system relationship in Dietary Guidelines it was passed on to the next iteration (2025–2030). In the meantime, Donovan shares these actionable insights: “a healthy immune system depends on an adequate intake of many nutrients, proteins, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially omega-3), vitamins (for example, vitamin C and fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E) and minerals (for example, iron and zinc). ”
In addition to these macro and micronutrients, Donovan explains that, “the best place to get immune-supporting nutrients is from whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, which provide dietary fiber and phytonutrients that benefit the intestinal microbiome and immune function.”