Title:The Association of Fruits and Vegetables Consumption and COVID-19: Results from Yazd Health Study and TAMYZ Study
Volume: 21
Issue: 2
Author(s): Shirin Hassanizadeh, Vida Mohammadi, Azadeh Nadjarzadeh, Masoud Mirzaei and Mahdieh Hosseinzadeh*
Affiliation:
- Department of Nutrition,
School of Public Health, Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
- Research Center for Food Hygiene and Safety,
School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Keywords:
Fruit, vegetable, vitamin C, fiber, COVID-19, Yazd Health Study.
Abstract:
Background: COVID-19 has caused a high health burden worldwide and increased the
need to identify factors affecting its risk. Fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy diet and
immune system function. This study investigated the associations between fruit and vegetable intake
and COVID-19 incidence in a large sample of Iranian adults.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 9189 participants of Yazd Health Study
(YaHS) and Taghzieh Mardom-e-Yazd (TAMIZ) study aged 20 to 70 years. Dietary intakes were
assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).
Results: After adjusting for confounding variables, we found that higher intake of total fruit (OR:
0.42, CI: 0.20–0.83, P-trend =0.05), fresh fruit (OR: 0.46, CI: 0.23– 0.92, P-trend =0.04), green
leafy vegetables (OR: 0.48, CI: 0.24–0.96, P-trend =0.08), and vitamin C (OR: 0.38, CI: 0.17–
0.81, P-trend =0.02) were associated with lower odds of COVID-19. No significant associations
were observed for fruit juice, dried fruit, fruit compote, cruciferous vegetables, yellow vegetables,
total vegetables and dietary fiber intake.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that higher consumption of fresh fruit, total fruit, green leafy vegetables,
and dietary vitamin C may reduce the risk of COVID-19. Further studies are needed to
confirm these findings and provide evidence-based nutritional recommendations. Furthermore, the
current study's findings could be important for similar pandemics.
