Foods for protection against COVID-19: An overview

Pandemics have at all times been devastating due to their severity and rate of spread. December 2019, also witnessed a wide spreading havoc around the world whose emergence and outbreak was first reported in China's Wuhan area. Major role in the pandemic was played by a spherical virus with spike protein which was named as corona. Coronavirus disease is a viral respiratory infectious disease caused due to novel strain of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) which is accompanied by symptoms similar to common cold, Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome, etc. The elderly persons and people suffering from lifestyle diseases are more prone to severe COVID-19 and its respiratory complications. Immune system played a major role particularly in this disease as people having good immunity could tackle the virus more easily that too with high recovery rate. Essential macro and micronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, bioactive compounds and polyphenols are found important to combat with COVID-19. These nutrients and phytochemicals are found in various foods like vegetables, fruits, dairy products, herbs, spices, etc. Different fruits (citrus, papaya, berries, etc.) and vegetables (broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, etc.) are rich in micronutrients like minerals, vitamin C, vitamin D and flavonoids. Herbs and spices (clove, cinnamon, tulsi, etc.) have been widely used for medicinal purpose from ancient time as they contain a diverse amount of bioactive compounds. Similarly, dairy products are potential carriers of phytochemicals and have an important role in regulating homeostasis related to the immune system. All mentioned sources possess positive effect on the human body by alleviating many chronic ailments like cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, cancer, etc., and strengthen the immune system. All these compounds work in such a way that they modify the metabolism or mechanism of the pathogens, thus restricting the replication and production process of the virus. This review particularly focuses on the food spectrum that has been used for prevention and protection against COVID-19 disease.