Doctors recommend hydration and correct food when fighting against COVID-19 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to eat when you have COVID? ›

Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

Drinking extra water or other fluids can help a sick person, but not by flushing the germs from the bloodstream, as many people have been led to believe. Fluids are recommended to keep a person hydrated when sick, said Dr.

If you're wondering what to eat with COVID, many whole foods—like fruits and whole grains—and dairy products can contain nutrients beneficial to immune system functioning while you're sick. Other foods and drinks, such as sweets and sodas, can be less helpful.

Although supplements do not reduce the risk of dying from COVID, vitamins C and D and zinc are essential nutrients that help support your immune system.

Eat a variety of food, including fruits and vegetables

Every day, eat a mix of wholegrains like wheat, maize and rice, legumes like lentils and beans, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables , with some foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

Healthy eating for recovery

Protein (meat, chicken, fish, eggs or beans) is important to protect your muscles. Starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, or cereals) give you energy. Wholegrain options will provide more fibre, which can help keep your gut healthy, and manage constipation.

People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants your body needs.

Water. Water is far and away the best thing to drink when you're sick, as it's the resource your body urgently needs when you're sick.

How to rehydrate quickly? ›

Drinking water, isotonic sports drinks, or skimmed milk are all ways to rehydrate. Dehydration is when there is an insufficient volume of water in a person's body. It can occur due to sweating, illness, diarrhea, vomiting, urinary issues, or not drinking enough water. Dehydration can range from mild to severe.

Symptoms of a viral infection depend on where you're infected, but some common ones include: Flu-like symptoms: fever, head and body aches, fatigue. Upper respiratory symptoms: sore throat, cough, sneezing. Digestive symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Healthy eating for recovery

Protein (meat, chicken, fish, eggs or beans) is important to protect your muscles. Starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, or cereals) give you energy. Wholegrain options will provide more fibre, which can help keep your gut healthy, and manage constipation.

Treating COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. You can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to help feel better.

People with COVID-19 are often contagious for 5-10 days after their illness begins. People with flu may be contagious for up to 5-7 days after their illness begins. People with RSV are usually contagious for 3-8 days after their illness begins.

Consuming foods high in vitamin C such as grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, sweet red pepper, broccoli, strawberries, kale, and kiwifruit are thought to increase white blood cell production, which is key to fighting infection.