Foods such as Kimchi and Sauerkraut may help ward off COVID-19
The early signs look promising, but don't switch to an all-Kimchi diet just yet...
We're all currently waiting to see the news of a vaccine being developed and distributed in the fight against COVID-19, but while we're waiting, a number of scientists and labs have been researching possible 'superfoods' that could help build up a barrier to the symptoms of COVID-19.
The results are definitely not yet conclusive, but early evidence from a pre-print, data analysis study has suggested consuming picked or fermented cabbage foods (such as Sauerkraut or Kimchi) may play a part in helping to mitigate the symptoms (and ultimately, the mortality rate) from Coronavirus.
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The study looks at Covid-19 mortality rates throughout Germany, and has come to the conclusion that variations in local diets across the country could play a role in the impact the disease has on communities in these areas.
Essentially, the study found certain diets which were rich in antioxidants and low in saturated fats could lower levels of the Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) which converts into ACE, which becomes "the main entry point for [SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)] into cells."
In theory, those in the north-east of Germany which experienced a lower per-capita death rate than other regions of Germany may have benefitted from a diet rich in foods containing strong antioxidant (which in turn, is anti-ACE) activity, such as fermented or uncooked cabbage.
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I should point out that at this stage we should take this newfound information with a pinch of salt, since the study is yet to be peer-reviewed to confirm the data or validity of the study. The conclusions also are drawn from data analysis, relying on macro-level data to draw correlations between regions and their mortality rates, as opposed to any lab-based research.
That having been said though, there are numerous other health benefits to eating such foods, so it's unlikely that incorporating these dishes into your diet would be a bad thing *unless you're aware of any pre-existing reason why you shouldn't be consuming fermented or pickled cabbage*, so why not use this time to learn how to make your own?
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Comments (1)
When combined with the smoking of cheap cigars ( which as P.J.O’Rourke suggests , will make you smell like a wet dog , ) the combined odours thus produced may possibly encourage social distancing .