With the many debilitating symptoms of long COVID, diet often takes a backseat to medication or supplements.
However, “the [COVID-19] virus activates your whole immune system, and we have most of our immune system housed in the gut, so what we eat really does matter,” Lily Spechler, a registered dietician in Vermont who works with long COVID patients and has the condition herself, told Newsweek.
What Is Long Covid?
Long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), refers to ongoing or new symptoms that persist weeks or months after the initial COVID-19 illness. Common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, and joint pain. It can affect anyone, regardless of initial infection severity.
A Common Mistake Long COVID Patients Make
One major mistake long COVID patients make is not consuming enough calories, Spechler said.
“People don’t understand how metabolically expensive inflammation can be,” she added.
Symptoms like tachycardia, breathlessness, and temperature dysregulation significantly increase caloric needs. Just being breathless, Spechler noted, can add around 800 calories to daily requirements.
Diet supports the body’s foundation to fight the virus and manage oxidative stress, which can linger even after infection.
Spechler recommends using a TDEE calculator (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to estimate baseline caloric needs, then adding 10 to 15 percent more to account for increased demand.
What Foods Help Long COVID Recovery?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Diet should be personalized and consider allergies or intolerances, said Boston University professor Joan Salge Blake, adding that guidance from a professional is highly recommended. Considering individual allergies and intolerances is also vital, the registered nutritionist told Newsweek.
The Mediterranean diet can be “particularly helpful,” Blake said. Known for its high-quality nutrients, it “can help reduce inflammation in the body and support a healthy immune system.”
She also advises limiting caffeine after noon and avoiding alcohol before bed.
Here are some key food groups long COVID patients should look to get in their diet, according to experts.
Protein
Protein is vital for tissue repair, which can be impaired by oxidative stress.
“Fatigue and a loss of lean body mass are often a side-effect of long COVID,” Blake said, adding that it is important patients consume enough protein “throughout the day, at each meal, to encourage the synthesis of lean body mass.”
Fiber, Vitamins and Minerals
“Fiber plays such a big role too,” Spechler said. It feeds the gut microbiome—the foundation of the immune system.
Having fiber in your diet also acts as a safeguard to your gut lining, Spechler said. Some studies suggest that low fiber intake may lead certain gut microbes to degrade the intestinal lining, potentially weakening gut barrier function.
By increasing fiber through high fiber carbs like sweet potatoes, it also increases potassium intake which is really important for people with long COVID, according to Spechler.
“I see potassium as one of those key nutrients that really matters because we now know COVID is a vascular disease in a lot of ways, so it’s almost like a blood injury,” she said.
COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness, but it is also increasingly recognized as a vascular disease due to its significant impact on the blood vessels and circulatory system.
Emerging evidence suggests vascular dysfunction plays a role in long COVID. Potassium-rich foods may support vascular health.
Some clinicians have also observed low vitamin E levels in patients, though more research is needed to determine how widespread this is.
Fats
Fats are essential for nervous system repair and help maintain the myelin sheath,the fatty layer that protects nerve cells, Spechler said.
“Omega-3 fatty acid-rich seafood such as salmon and tuna, provide an additional bonus as they are ‘food for your brain’,” Blake said.
Blake added some research supports they may “enhance cognitive functioning,” which is important given many with long COVID suffer from cognitive issues.
Why Diet Matters in the Long Run
While there’s still much to learn about long COVID, one thing is increasingly clear: nutrition plays a pivotal role in supporting recovery.
Eating enough to meet heightened energy demands, prioritizing anti-inflammatory foods, and ensuring a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats can help the body repair and regulate itself. And while diet isn’t a cure, it’s a crucial tool that can empower patients to regain strength and resilience—one meal at a time.
The post What to Eat When You’re Living With Long COVID appeared first on Newsweek.
