Habitual adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Evidence on habitual Mediterranean diet (MD) and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19 is limited. 1,520 participants from the Moli-sani Study (2017-2020) were tested during January-September 2021 and adherence to MD was ascertained through the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were determined through serology, and previous clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 disease was self-reported.
The MDS was not associated with the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR= 0.94; 95% CI: 0.83-1.06) and COVID-19 (OR= 0.82; 95% CI: 0.62-1.10) diagnosis. High consumption of cereals was associated with lower odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83-1.00; for each 25 g/d increase). Likelihood of having been diagnosed with COVID-19 disease decreased in association with increasing olive oil intake (OR= 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01-0.79; for each additional 10 g/d), moderate alcohol consumption (OR= 0.18; 95% CI: 0.04-0.82) and higher intakes of fruits and nuts (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79-0.99).
The findings emphasise the adoption and maintenance of a balanced MD as a key strategy to reduce the risk of future SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19.
Source: Sharma S, Di Castelnuovo A, Costanzo S, Persichillo M, Panzera T, Ruggiero E, De Curtis A, Storto M, Cavallo P, Gianfagna F, Donati MB, de Gaetano G, Cerletti C, Iacoviello L, Bonaccio M; Moli-sani Study Investigators. Habitual adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a longitudinal analysis. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Jun 1:1-13