Healthcare management through mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic with leafy vegetables

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic becomes one of the leading challenges across the world. To fight against the virus, compulsory maintenance of nutritional status is very important. Age, sex, health status, medications and lifestyles are the important factors affecting individuals regarding their nutritional status. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nutritional status of individuals is destabilized. To survive the current situation, a sustainable nutritional dietary should be maintained for strengthening the immune system. One of the most important ways to maintain the immune system is to supplement enough vitamin C. A spectrum of viruses that belongs to the coronavirus in humans usually causes the common cold, which is recently severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS considered a major threat to public health, which is an emerging infectious disease. According to WHO, COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus, in which most people probably have low immunity. Eighty-five per cent of the immune system has been made by plant-based food supplements, which increase beneficial intestinal bacteria. Minerals like zinc, magnesium, micronutrients, herbal foods and vitamins C, D and E and plenty of water promote health, which is highly helpful to overcome the infection. Many studies revealed that COVID-19 infection prevented by the powerful antioxidant glutathione and bioflavonoid quercetin;to control COVID-19, plant-based foods playing a very important role to increase the immunity of people. Leafy greens and vegetables play a very important role in food and nutritional safety. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins, phenolic compounds and minerals. Calcium and iron are rich in leafy vegetables than that of staple food grains. Folic acid is also present in leafy vegetables. Different leafy greens, especially Moringa oleifera leaves, contain a high amount of folic acid compared to other leafy and non-leafy vegetable plants. This review paper aims to explore the nutritional and antinutritional factors of some important leafy vegetables. The content of nutritional and antinutritional factors varies among the genera and species of most of the edible leafy vegetables. Antinutritional factors are considered the important compound in the plant, in which they determine the absorption capacity of nutrients in human beings. Important dietary factors such as phytates, oxalates, nitrates, glycosides and cyanogenic are fruitful in many health-related problems. This article mainly explores the significance of nutrition and the use of leafy vegetables to boost up the immunity system in human beings and provide reliable dietary strategies about food safety and nutrition to survive COVID-19 pandemic around the world, especially in India.