The plant list for Covid

What are viruses

Viruses are microscopic parasites that need a host, specifically the cells of another living organism, to get activated, reproduce and thrive. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and do not have a cell structure like them. Their structure is much simpler than a cell. They consist of DNA or RNA as genetic material, which contains the instructions for making new viral copies and is packed in a protein coat, the capsid, in order to be protected. Unlike bacteria, they cannot be killed with antibiotics and as many pathogens do, they can trick our immune system in order to survive.

For example, in a study published in 2013, it was shown that the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis (Mycobacterium leprae), can trick the immune system by inducing a response against viruses. In another intriguing example, from a study published in 2019, viruses trick the immune system to ignore bacterial infections from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in order to be able to use the human cells for their own benefit.

What is Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2)

Covid-19 is a virus that initially infected people in the city Wuhan of China and later it spread in more than 180 countries. It belongs to the Coronavirus family and it was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is an RNA virus and it has many similarities to both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV viruses. However, Covid-19 has a higher transmission rate and people who get infected with it have incredibly variable symptoms. Although many people do not develop any symptoms or develop very mild symptoms, there are others who present diarrhea, fatigue, fever, dry cough or shortness of breath. There is also a significant amount of cases were patients need to be hospitalized in the intensive care-units (ICU) as they need respiratory support.

How your immune system protects you from viruses

When a virus invades an organism (host), it uses the machinery of its cells to replicate and survive. Both the host and the virus keep evolving and fighting a continuous battle for survival. In humans there are several lines of defense that the body activates during a viral infection.

1. Cytotoxic cells

While the virus is inside the cells of the host the cells of the immune system (army) cannot see the virus. For that, the cells have developed a way to signal the presence of the virus to the immune system. They present on their surfaces protein molecules, called class I major histocompatibility complex proteins (or MHC class I). These protein molecules can also contain pieces of the viral proteins.

A special group of cells of the host’s army, called T cells, circulate all over the body in order to detect if there is any infection. There are several types of T cells. One of them is called, cytotoxic T cells and they are responsible of killing infected cells of the host, by recognizing the MHC class I molecules on their surface. Once a cytotoxic T cell recognizes an infected host cell it releases cytotoxic factors (weapons), in order to destroy the infected cell and thus stop the survival of the virus. One of the weapons that the cytotoxic T cells release are the cytokinins, molecules that act as a signal from the T cell to the infected, or other neighbouring cells, to boost the killing mechanisms.

2. Interferons

Virally infected cells release also some other molecules called interferons. These molecules may act directly by inhibiting the replication of the viruses inside the cells, or indirectly as a signal to warn the nearby cells that there is a viral infection.

3. Antibodies

Antibodies are proteins produced by the host and are specialized to recognize invading pathogens, like viruses, and bind to them. This binding activates other members of the host’s army and is useful for the eradication of the virus before it manages to enter a cell.

Interested in learning more about how your body fights viruses? Check out this online content from Harvard Medical School:

https://onlinelearning.hms.harvard.edu/hmx/immunity/

What is particular about Covid-19 ?

There are many studies that compared Covid-19 with other viruses and tried to describe how the infection mechanism of this virus differs from others. First of all, Covid-19 has developed a stronger binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor of the alveolar epithelial cells in the lungs, from where it enters to the body, comparing to SARS (2002-2003 outbreak).

Covid-19 has also high infection and fatality rates (1% – 5%). What is characteristic aboutCovid-19 is the “cytokine storm syndrome”, which happens during the severe reaction of the immune system against this virus. During this reaction, an excess amount of cytokinins is released to the blood flow and this leads to organ damage^1,2 and other severe symptoms³. As mentioned above, cytokinins are molecules that the cytotoxic T cells produce in order to enhance the response of the immune system and kill the infected with the virus cells. Thus, during a cytokine storm, there is a generalized and uncontrolled activation of the immune system which in severe cases leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and organ failure.

How could you help your army to fight Covid-19 ?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, following a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, sleeping well and avoiding the consumption of meat, alcohol, fried or processed foods and sweets are very good habits to stay healthy and keep your immune system strong. However, according to doctors Covid-19 is a particular virus that in some people creates a lot of inflammation in many organs. Thus, in order to become less susceptible to Covid-19 and to prevent complications if infected with it adding the following anti-inflammatory foods in your daily diet can make a difference:

•  Aloe vera
•  Apples
•  Beetroot
•  Broccoli
•  Cabbage (boiled with salt, lemon and olive oil/ cabbage curry)
•  Cinnamon
•  Dried mango
•  Garlic – better raw (consume moderately because it lowers the blood pressure, garlic oil)
  
•  Ginger (chew it raw, cook it or drink it with tea)
•  Green tea
•  Herbs: basil, oregano, thyme
•  Nuts and seeds
•  Propolis
•  Purslane
•  Turmeric

I think that staying healthy and keeping our immune system strong is a habit, strongly related to our diet and our lifestyle. For this reason, apart from maintaining good and healthy habits like exercising, sleeping, avoiding stress and following a balanced diet, choosing what to eat is also very important.

Looking for some tasty and healthy recipes to include all the above in your diet? Here are some ideas:

– Pink salad with beetroot

– Authentic Indian Chai

– Cauliflower curry with ginger, garlic and many different spices

– Pumpkin curry with ginger, garlic, cinnamon and many other spices

References

1. Ye Q, Wang B, Mao J. The pathogenesis and treatment of the cytokine Storm’in COVID-19. J Infect. 2020;80(6):607–13.
2. Tay MZ, Poh CM, Renia L, MacAry PA, Ng LFP. The trinity of COVID-19: immunity, inflammation and intervention. Nat Rev Immunol. 2020;20:363–74.
3. Keam S, Megawati D, Patel S, Tiwari R, Dhama K, Harapan H. Immunopathology and immunotherapeutic strategies in 2918 K. DHAMA ET AL.SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rev Medical Virol. 2020;30(5).