Inverse Association Between the Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19 Risk in Lebanon: A Case-Control Study
El Khoury et al.,
Inverse Association Between the Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19 Risk in Lebanon: A Case-Control Study,
Frontiers in Nutrition, doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.707359
Retrospective 399 people in Lebanon, showing a significant inverse association between the MedDiet score, corresponding to the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and the risk of COVID-19.
El Khoury et al., 30 Jul 2021, retrospective, Lebanon, peer-reviewed, 2 authors.
Abstract: ORIGINAL RESEARCH
published: 30 July 2021
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.707359
Inverse Association Between the
Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19
Risk in Lebanon: A Case-Control
Study
Christine N. El Khoury and Sofi G. Julien*
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon
Edited by:
Simonetta Friso,
University of Verona, Italy
Reviewed by:
Martha Guevara-Cruz,
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias
Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán
(INCMNSZ), Mexico
Cristina Torres Fuentes,
University of Rovira i Virgili, Spain
*Correspondence:
Sofi G. Julien
sophiejulien@usek.edu.lb
Specialty section:
This article was submitted to
Clinical Nutrition,
a section of the journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Received: 09 May 2021
Accepted: 30 June 2021
Published: 30 July 2021
Citation:
El Khoury CN and Julien SG (2021)
Inverse Association Between the
Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19
Risk in Lebanon: A Case-Control
Study. Front. Nutr. 8:707359.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.707359
Frontiers in Nutrition | www.frontiersin.org
Background: Since 2019, the world is confronting the COVID-19 public health crisis
that deeply impacted all aspects of life, from the health sector to economy. Despite the
advancement of research targeting pandemic containment measures, more strategies
are still needed to alleviate the burden caused by this novel disease. In particular, optimal
nutrition was proposed as a possible mitigating factor in the context of COVID-19.
Indeed, the light is shed on balanced diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, which
present the finest nutritional quality to support the immune system and other physiologic
functions. In contrast, less varied diets that lack the needed nutrients and favor
inflammation have been correlated with adverse health effects, including a hindered
immune response, such as the western diet.
Methods: This observational case control study aimed at exploring the possible
associations between the different dietary patterns present among a sample of the
Lebanese population and the COVID-19 occurrence and outcomes. An online survey
collected information about the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyle,
and dietary habits through the Mediterranean diet questionnaire and a semi-quantitative
fod frequency questionnaire, and the COVID-19 infection and its burden. The sample
consisted of 399 respondents divided into the case and control groups (37.6 and 62.4%,
respectively) on the basis of the presence or absence of a COVID-19 infection history.
Results: The participants in the case and control groups had average adherence to the
Mediterranean diet and their dietary intake was closer to the western diet. However, the
cases had a lower mean of the MedDiet score (p = 0.009). Food groups consumption
analysis showed that this significant difference within the overall similar dietary patterns
was due to a higher consumption of poultry and a trend toward decreased consumption
of olive oil and increased read meat and alcohol intake among the cases. Additionally,
gender influenced the levels of different foods’ consumption. Nonetheless, the dietary
intake did not impact the COVID-19 burden.
Conclusion: It is recommended to adopt healthy food choices within the different dietary
patterns for a better protection against COVID-19. These findings should be validated in
larger-scale studies.
Keywords: COVID-19, Mediterranean diet, Lebanon, immunity, dietary patterns, nutrition,..
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