Corona: Food allergy could protect against Covid-19, according to study
Created: 03.10.2022, 20:30
By: Judith Brown
Genes and blood group should influence whether you get infected with Corona.
A food allergy could ensure a mild course.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), around 33.1 million people in Germany have been proven to have been infected with the virus since the beginning of the corona pandemic (as of September 28th, 2022).
However, there are also people who have not yet been infected with Corona despite contact with infected people.
Among other things, the genes or the blood group of a person can have an influence on whether a person becomes infected with Corona.
A recent study has now come to another amazing result: Anyone suffering from a food allergy could be better protected against a severe course of Covid 19.
Corona: Food allergy could protect against Covid-19, according to study
Anyone suffering from celiac disease could be better protected against a severe course of the corona virus.
© Andriy Popov/IMAGO
In their study published in the journal
Frontiers in Immunology
, researchers from the USA suspect that people suffering from a food allergy could develop Covid-19 more mildly.
This is due to the proteins to which the immune system was previously exposed.
Because certain sections of the spike protein are also found on the proteins of food.
The microbiologist Dr.
Aristo Vodjani from Cyrex Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona therefore investigated, among other things, whether there is a cross-reaction to the antibodies responsible for the development of food allergies.
After all, previous studies have already shown that infections with other corona viruses, which are harmless pathogens that cause colds, can generate cross-immunity against SARS-CoV-2
The scientists hypothesized that similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and other common proteins may influence susceptibility to the virus.
Because the body starts an immune response as soon as it is attacked by a pathogen such as a virus or bacterium.
Antibodies are also involved in this.
These immune proteins attach to specific sites on the pathogen and help destroy it.
When the initial infection subsides, white blood cells called memory T and B cells retain a memory of the pathogen or specific parts of its structure.
If these cells encounter the pathogen again, they build up a rapid immune response.
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Corona: Celiac patients could be better protected against Covid-19, according to the study
In an experiment, Vodjani found that a monoclonal spike antibody reacts to a range of antigens from certain foods.
These included broccoli (39 percent), roasted almonds (39 percent), cashews (34 percent), soybeans (32 percent), squid (32 percent), rice endochitinase (32 percent), pork (31 percent), and pineapple Bromelain (30 percent).
It also responded to the gliadin-toxic peptide (30%) involved in celiac disease.
Accordingly, these foods can prepare the immune system to attack SARS-CoV-2.
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"Immunity" to a food type is characterized by food allergy, according to a press release accompanying the study.
Based on the study results, the scientists suspect that people with celiac disease or people with a food allergy could be better protected against Covid-19.
However, further epidemiological investigations are necessary to verify this assumption.
In addition, the scientists warn that these active ingredients, which can offer some protection against corona, are not a substitute for vaccination.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.