A paper published by the BMJ indicates that plant-based and pescatarian diets reduce the severity of covid symptoms by 73% and 57% respectively should lead to revisions in the floundering efforts to control covid incidence.
In August I wrote as follows to government advisors suggesting that promotion of healthy lifestyles should be a component of our covid response that would mitigate any impact in NZ.
It seems certain that unhealthy lifestyles contribute to Covid morbidity.
Therefore the present risks posed by Covid can be cited to justify adjustments to government regulations and taxation that will impact health outcomes more positively.
1. Obesity is a risk factor for Covid.
Causal factors for obesity include ultra-processed foods high in sugars and unhealthy fats.
The government can remove GST on fresh fruit and vegetables and introduce a sugar tax making such a measure fiscally neutral.
In this regard, school-based practices and initiatives similar to countries such as France and the UK (think Jamie Oliver) can improve nutrition.
2. Asthma and respiratory illness is a risk factor for Covid.
Air quality, especially in cities, commercial buildings, and damp homes is aggravating and causative.
There are policies that can be strengthened in these areas. The new rebate on electric vehicles is an example.
The present planning policy to intensify housing densities in cities cannot be pursued safely without more aggressive policies to reduce polluting car access and reduce the use of toxic off-gassing building materials.
Moreover higher density of housing is also a risk factor for Covid transmission and may increase long-term risks.
3. There are first response natural health initiatives that are well known and widely used among fans of natural approaches.
For example honey, turmeric, and black pepper taken first thing reduces mucus congestion.
There is already research on a number of these. These can be assessed and publicised as a matter of priority.
Inflammatory and autoimmune conditions are risk factors for Covid severity (and increasingly part of concerning chronic health trends), the anti-inflammatory properties of ginger is of great interest.
4. Tiredness is a risk factor for Covid, as is lack of exercise.
There are programs that can be encouraged.
The working week has become very long. To reduce the tendency to overwork people, compulsory overtime rates (time and a half, double time, etc.) can be reintroduced.
This would also encourage companies to hire more employees.
Some companies overseas have found that positive rewards for participants in exercise programmes, giving up smoking, meditation, etc., work well.
Other companies have found reduced working weeks do not reduce productivity.
In general, as I am sure you are aware, the impact of Covid has been amplified by the rapidly increasing over 65 population cohort (1968 H3N2 pandemic 5.2% of world population, 2009 HINI pandemic 7.4% of pop, 2020 9.3%).
The prevalence of chronic illness in this cohort reinforces the need for more healthy lifestyles at earlier ages.
These factors are not irrelevant to the current crisis. Covid provides an ideal opportunity to change gear on preventive health.”
I received a very positive response:
“I think you may be right – in that opportunities should be taken to promote preventive health measures now and at all times.”
BUT by September the mood had changed as the pendulum of government policy swung towards universal vaccination mandates as our sole response.
A policy set to exclude any discussion of how to address comorbidities. I was told that (summarising his words):
‘although the current vaccines are quite primitive and a protective immune signature is elusive…..The chances of ‘interventions’ (other than vaccination) having anything like their protective effect is remote in my view.’
How right he was to concede that vaccine protective effects are elusive. Israel has the world’s first universal booster shot programme, but covid deaths doubled this week to levels similar to the UK and the EU.
It is time for the penny to drop.
Long-term freedom from covid is conditional on a preventive programme to promote general health naturally.
(Reference: BMJ Prevention, Nutrition, and Health journal entitled “Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case–control study in six countries” vol. 4 issue 1)
