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Can an anti-inflammatory diet be effective in preventing or treating viral respiratory diseases? A systematic narrative review.

Clinical nutrition ESPEN
June 1, 2021
Farhad Vahid et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether an anti-inflammatory diet could effectively prevent or treat viral respiratory diseases by examining its impact on inflammation, immune response, and infection symptoms.

Results Summary

The study found that an anti-inflammatory diet, including foods like turmeric, ginger, garlic, and nutrients like vitamins C and D, zinc, and omega-3, may help reduce infection symptoms and duration due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and immune-enhancing properties.

Population

Not specified (general population with respiratory viral infections).

Effective Dosage

Not specified.

Duration

Not specified.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (10)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
anti-inflammatory diet
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to use
#1
turmeric
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#2
ginger
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#3
garlic
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#4
onions
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#5
saffron
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#6
dietary vitamin C
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#7
vitamin D
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#8
zinc
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#9
omega-3
decrease
infection symptoms and duration
patients with Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI)
-
recommended to reduce
#10
Abstract

Respiratory Viruses infections (RVI) such as rhinovirus, coronavirus, influenza virus, and adenovirus affect the respiratory and the immune systems. The role of nutrition in the respiratory and immune systems has been studied in some studies, and its importance is undeniable. In addition, one of the key findings in this disease is high inflammation that affects almost all patients. This systematic narrative review aims to answer the question, "Can an anti-inflammatory diet be effective in preventing or treating viral respiratory diseases?" A systematic review search was used for the articles extraction. All studies published in English from 1999 to 2020 investigating dietary inflammatory conditions and RVI were included. Food items with anti-inflammatory properties were selected based on the definition of the dietary inflammatory index (DII). We used Google Scholar, Pub Med, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, Directory of Open Access Journals, Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, ProQuest, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases for extracting articles. Keywords were restricted by DII. Based on DII, food items/nutrients are involved in inflammation, some of which have anti-inflammatory and some inflammatory properties. Some foods/nutrients, in addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, have antioxidant, antiviral, and immune-enhancing properties. Considering the immune system's involvement, increased inflammation, and involvement of the pulmonary system in RVI and the remarkable role of the anti-inflammatory foods for counteracting them, it is recommended to use a predominantly anti-inflammatory diet along with prevention/control and treatment protocols. An anti-inflammatory diet (based on DII) includes turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, saffron, dietary vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 are recommended to reduce infection symptoms and duration.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdenoviridaeAnti-Inflammatory AgentsCoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsCrocusDietFatty Acids, Omega-3HumansInflammationMicronutrientsNutrientsNutritional StatusOrthomyxoviridaePlant ExtractsRespiratory Tract InfectionsRhinovirusVirus DiseasesVirusesVitaminsZincZingiberaceae
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations17
Citations/Year4.3
Relative Citation Ratio1.89
NIH Percentile72.8%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.28
Normalized Score0.66
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