Probiotics, Prebiotics, and COVID-19

Abstract

In a diet, probiotics and prebiotics play an important role in regulating the immune response function through the intestinal microbiota, which in turn affects the immune system.While probiotics have been shown to reduce diseases,such as the flu, which is a respiratory infection. The National Health Commission of China and the National Bureau of Traditional Medicine of China recommend that probiotics be used in acute patients with COVID-19 to prevent secondary bacterial infection(Antuneset al., 2020, Anwaret al., 2020).Like probiotics, dietary fiber can improve the immune system against viral infections. Astudy conducted on micehas shown thata daily diet with soluble fiber reduces lung viral load and increases survival. Although what you eat does not prevent the body from becoming infected with COVID-19, the gut microbiota, with a well-balanced diet that includes probiotics, helps support the health of the gastrointestinal tract, immune system, and thus reducesthe risk of symptoms(Baudet al., 2020, Bottariet al., 2020).