09/29/2020
HomeThe innate immunity is built throughout our food
The innate immunity, what we have inside our body, is the first barrier to defend against an aggressor that we meet regularly: a nail, a bee sting, etc., or a virus which wishes to enter in our body.
The innate immunity is very dependent of a lot of nutrients to function well. These latter constitute a sort of “food barrier”. Among those nutrients, there is one family particularly important in this time of Covid-19, the Omega-3 family (Fatty acids). They are involved in the resolution of the inflammation. As example, people who are eating important portion of fishes rich in omega-3, have a mortality prevalence level linking to Covid, 4 times less important than others. But we don’t speak about it.
Bringing back important nutrients in our food is necessary for our health
Today the omega-3 don’t reach anymore our plates. They are issued from vegetal synthesis. We still have grass and alfalfa, flax and canola and chia seeds, algae, which contains omega-3. Nevertheless, if we look at as example the French landscape, only 7 plants (wheat, barley, corn, canola…) represents 91% of the cropped surface. There is no longer any nurturing diversity.
Our agriculture, our way of consuming, have changed a lot during the last 50/60 years. We have been eliminated the diversity which was necessary to feed us properly.
Our health is totally linked to, what have previously been fed the animals which will give our foods in our plates, as well as the quality of the plants which were involved. The quality of this cycle from the soil to the human is therefore fundamental. We go from a healthy soil, to prepare a feed for lively and healthy animals, and then we will be able to eat properly. A one health cycle!
The Covid-19 situation boost the need of an agriculture which put at the center an agriculture model good for the soil, the animals, and people.
And why not a food barrier, e.g. a healthy food, prescribed in order to reduce severe Covid-19 cases?
In another way, it has been observed than in 10 to 15% of all Covid-19 cases, it appears high risk for the patient to develop an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). This ARDS leads to a systemic inflammation out of control.
Face to the previous consideration, the University Hospital of Rennes, the Inserm (French Institute of health and medical research), and Bleu-Blanc-Coeur looked the subject and recently published a study to review “how an omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplementation may help to reduce severe complications in Covid-19 patients?”.
Discover the complete article P.Weill et al., May omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplementation help reduce severe complication in Covid-19 patients?, Biochimie, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biochi.2020.09.003
Following this initial review,two clinical trials are now on their way in Covid-19 patients and in older people with the aims to evaluate whether omega-3 PUFA diet enrichment could protect patients against severe forms of Covid-19, and to increase the awareness of the scientific community towards the beneficial role of good nutrition as a “barrier diet” against future pandemic.
It has never been such a strong need to build an agriculture good for the health of the Soil, the animals, and people!
