We all know that a healthy lifestyle is a good idea, and a new study indicates that it can help our body’s response to a vaccine.
With coronavirus vaccines being distributed, finally, we’re all breathing a collective, hopeful sigh of relief. There is light is at the end of the pandemic tunnel. So while we wait and look forward to our turn to roll up our sleeve, a new study from Ohio State University just found that there is something real you can do to improve your chances of having the best results from getting vaccinated, and building the strongest antibodies when the vaccine enters your body.
The new study just published in Perspectives on Psychological Science titled “Psychological and Behavioral Predictors of Vaccine Efficacy: Considerations for COVID-19,” helps underscore the importance of eating a healthy diet, as it relates to the vaccine’s efficacy.
Researchers reviewed 49 vaccine studies in humans from the past 30 years that show how different conditions impact the body’s immune system. What they found was that stress, depression, and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking can negatively affect the body’s immune response when exposed to a vaccination.
Inversely, the researchers found that making smart lifestyle choices such as eating a plant-based diet can boost your body’s immune response to a vaccine. In other words, healthy habits can make a vaccine more effective for you.
Although more research is required to replicate these findings for the new coronavirus vaccines, it’s well-known that a whole-food, plant-based diet can help enhance immunity to viruses. That's thanks to the antioxidants and high-fiber count that come with a whole food plant-based diet, which helps to create a better host system to welcome the new antibodies into your immune system.
Key nutrients found in everyday foods could help your body fight back against Covid-19, and even enhance your response to a vaccine. Emerging research on Covid-19 patients, and a wealth of existing studies relating to other viral infections, suggests key nutrients such as selenium, zinc, vitamin D and probiotics may fortify the immune system, limit the severity of coronavirus symptoms and even reduce intensive care admissions and mortality rates. More...