New insight on nutrition and Covid-19 pandemic

The new emerging COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection, first reported in Wuhan (China), that conveys a serious threat globally to health and economy because of a lack of vaccines and specific treatments. The pandemic is threatening the food security and nutrition of millions of people worldwide. The aim of this letter to editor is to summarize the most recent studies (cohort, case control, prospective, retrospective, descriptive observational, and cross sectional studies) carried out on the relationship between immunity against Covid-19 and nutrition. It has been established that deficiency in some vitamins and minerals could decrease the immune defense and favor progression to severe disease and complications. A positive association between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of the disease has been pointed out in several investigations, especially among the elderly people who displayed also high prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition. Nutrition risk among Covid-19 patients is a modifiable factor that could be controlled and reduced or controlled with early, individualized nutritional therapy. Although some micronutrients play a key role in the immune system and the protection of the respiratory tract such as vitamin D, antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin A and E, zinc, and folate, to date, no conclusive evidence supporting novel nutritional therapy or showing that high-dose micronutrient supplements will prevent serious disease or could speed recovery. Preventing pathologies related to nutrition such as diabetes and obesity will certainly reduce the risk and mortality of Covid-19 infection. Further research is required to establish optimal public health practice and clinical intervention regimens to correct micronutrients deficiencies in Covid-19 affected patients especially those at highest risk