Nutritional expert Tim Spector has highlighted the significant role our diet plays in combating viruses and potentially averting severe ailments like long Covid. The King’s College London professor and Zoe health app pioneer emphasised the intimate link between our immune system and gut health, noting that inflammation can lead to major issues.
He underscored the importance of a healthy gut microbiome for robust viral defence mechanisms and preventing the excessive immune responses associated with long Covid complications. He stated, “We now know that most of our immune system is in our gut and the way it gets its signals, and it understands what’s going on around it is through the gut. Microbes healthier your gut microbes.”
“The more diverse they are, the better you’re going to be able to control your immune system. And this means it’s going to react appropriately to, say, a covid virus. It’s going to try and kill it, but without overreacting and killing you.”
Prof Spector has sounded the alarm on the dangers of a poor diet, highlighting that “people eating junk food is going to have an inflamed gut microbiome that’s trying to put out fires all over the place. And so when a real virus comes along, it’s not able to pin it down. So if you want to have the best immune system, you need to make sure your gut health is in the best possible way. I can’t stress enough. It’s plant diversity. It’s fermented foods, and it also means not having ultra processed foods and getting plenty of fibre in there.”
He warned that with pandemics becoming more frequent and severe, it’s crucial for people to consider their diets in preparation for future outbreaks. The nutritional scientist urged the public to cut certain foods from their diets, especially as the UK now “leads Europe in ultra-processed food consumption, with a staggering 57% of our daily food intake coming from these products”.
Tim Spector described ultra-processed foods as “edible food-like substances” that are created by stripping away beneficial components like fibre from real food. “They take the essential extracts from food and they combine them in different ways,” he said.
“They have to add glues, chemicals and additives to stick stuff together and to make it look like food again.”
Prof Spector has emphasised the importance of dietary diversity, recommending that individuals aim for a variety of 30 plants weekly and is a vocal supporter of fermented foods like kefir for gut health. He noted that the advantages of such fermented picks are extensive: “In particular, they seem to support your immune system, which is so vital to fighting allergies, infections, cancer and ageing, thanks to their interaction with your resident gut bacteria.”
Yet he warns against overindulging in processed versions, stating “But sadly you can’t just binge a tub of sweetened, additive-rich yogurt once a week to experience these benefits. You need to choose good quality products and, preferably, eat them in small amounts several times each day. A clinical study in the US found that people who ate four to five small portions of fermented food each day had significantly improved blood markers of inflammation and immune function after just two weeks. So, if you have one or two portions daily, you will likely also benefit.”
