Review 1: "Possible Roles of Phytochemicals with Bioactive Properties in the Prevention of and Recovery from COVID-19"

Hongwei Si

doi:doi:10.1162/2e3983f5.1dceaeba

Possible roles of phytochemicals with bioactive properties in the prevention of and recovery from COVID-19

by Sachiko Koyama, Vonnie D.C. Shields, Thomas Heinbockel, Paule V. Joseph, Poonam Adhikari, Rishemjit Kaur, Ritesh Kumar, Rafieh Alizadeh, Surabhi Bhutani, Orietta Calcinoni, Carla Mucignat-Caretta, Jingguo Chen, Keiland W. Cooper, Subha R. Das, Paloma Rohlfs Domínguez, Maria Dolors Guàrdia, Maria A. Klyuchnikova, Tatiana K. Laktionova, Eri Mori, Zeinab Namjoo, Ha Nguyen, Mehmet Hakan Özdener, Shima Parsa, Elif Özdener Poyraz, Daniel Jan Strub, Farzad Taghizadeh-Hesary, Rumi Ueha, and Vera V. Voznessenskaya

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Published on Jan 30, 2024
www.medrxiv.org

Description

Abstract Purpose There have been large geographical differences in the infection and death rates of COVID-19. Foods and beverages containing high amounts of phytochemicals with bioactive properties were suggested to prevent contracting, to limit the severity of, and to facilitate recovery from COVID-19. The goal of our study was to determine the correlation of the type of foods/beverages people consumed and the risk reduction of contracting COVID-19 and the recovery from COVID-19.Methods We developed an online survey that asked the participants whether they contracted COVID-19, their symptoms, time to recover, and their frequency of eating various types of foods/beverages. The survey was first developed in English and then translated into 10 different languages.Results The participants who did not contract COVID-19 consumed vegetables, herbs/spices, and fermented foods/beverages significantly more than the participants who contracted COVID-19 and those who were not tested but became sick most likely from COVID-19. The geographic location of participants corresponded with the language of the survey, except for the English version, thus, nine out of the 10 language versions represented a country. Among the six countries (India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain) with over one hundred participants, we found that in India and Japan the people who contracted COVID-19 showed significantly shorter recovery time, and greater daily intake of vegetables, herbs/spices, and fermented foods/beverages was associated with faster recovery.Conclusion Our results suggest that phytochemical compounds included in the vegetables may have contributed in not only preventing contraction of COVID-19, but also accelerating their recovery. (249 words; EJN limit is 250 words)

RR:C19 Evidence Scale rating by reviewer:

Strong. The main study claims are very well-justified by the data and analytic methods used. There is little room for doubt that the study produced has very similar results and conclusions as compared with the hypothetical ideal study. The study’s main claims should be considered conclusive and actionable without reservation.

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Review: The authors of this paper provide evidence that higher intakes of food and beverages having bioactive compounds can reduce the infection and death rates of COVID-19 in several countries. While the paper is very interesting, several issues have to be addressed to improve the quality of the paper:

The paper compared the effects inside of the food, beverages, and fruits (eg. beans vs. nut etc), but did not compare the effects between these major category (fruits, vs. beverages).
The comprehensive effects of the higher all foods having higher bioactive compounds vs. lower intake of all foods
Discuss and cite references the synergistic effects and mechanisms of several foods and beverage intake, since one food may have dozens of bioactive compounds and a bioactive compound may come from many different foods.

Review 1: "Possible Roles of Phytochemicals with Bioactive Properties in the Prevention of and Recovery from COVID-19"

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