According to the World Health Organization, corona viruses have the ability of infecting not
only mammals but can also affects birds. It is believed that the 2019-nCoV is the third
generation of the corona virus. Corona virus in humans can be differentiated based on their
severity & ability to spread. In case of pandemics, people might start practicing
hypervigilance due to fear and anxiety of the disease, severity of which can even lead to post?
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or even depression in worse conditions. Stressful situations
and poor health behaviours which included- increased alcohol consumption, poor &
unhealthy intake of food, improper sleeping cycles, decreased physical activities, lead to
distorted & poor mental wellbeing. Increase in life stress always tends to affect the eating
pattern of an individual leading to unhealthy eating, especially opting for foods which are
high in fats and sugars.
The nutritional status of an individual helps in making the immune system strong enough to
deal with illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of proper nutrition & healthy
nutrients intake on gene expression, cell activation, and signalling molecules modification
leads to stronger immune system. The role of zinc, iron, and vitamins A, B 12, B6, C, and E
in strengthening the immune system is much known. Including these nutrients properly in the
daily diet is also one of the ways of handling the current situation. Mass lockdowns were
witnessed during the pandemic which led to different impacts on health, many lifestyle
changes were practised including changes in eating patterns, sleeping habits, and physical
activity were done to deal with the situation.
Keywords: Food, Mental Health, COVID 19, Nutrition, Immune System, Nutritional Status
Publication date: 25/01/2022
https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2022/January/MS_IJBPAS_2022_JAN_SPCL_2_2043.pdf
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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2022/11.1.2043
