Is it OK to skip Covid vaccine if you exercise & eat right?
Research scientist and fitness enthusiast, Richard Bloomer, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis explains why the answer is no
I’m a fitness enthusiast. I also adhere to a nutrientdense, “clean” eating programme, which means I minimise my sugar intake and eat a lot of whole foods for the purpose of optimising my health. You might wonder how effective such a diet and exercise plan would be in the fight against Covid19, since some have suggested – without supporting evidence – that vaccination may be unnecessary if a detailed wellness lifestyle is closely followed.
As a research scientist who has studied nutrition for close to 20 years, I have watched the wellness community’s response to the Covid-19 vaccines with great interest. While eating right can favourably impact the immune system, it is not reasonable to expect that nutrition alone will defend against a potentially lifethreatening virus.
Nnutrition science
My lab group at the University of Memphis studies the effect of food and isolated nutrients on human health. In January 2009, we conducted an initial study of a stringent vegan diet. We enrolled 43 men and women who were allowed to eat as much plantbased food as desired, but drank only water, for 21 days.
The results demonstrated improvements in many variables related to cardiometabolic health, such as blood cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin and C-reactive protein – a protein that increases in response to inflammation.
We have since completed multiple human and animal nutrition studies using this dietary programme.
For many individuals, a positive change in eating habits results in such an improvement in clinically relevant measures like blood cholesterol and glucose that doctors can sometimes reduce or eliminate certain medications used to treat high cholesterol and diabetes. In other cases, these measures improve but the patient still requires the use of medications to control their disease. This tells us that in some situations, a great nutrition program is simply not enough to overcome the body’s challenges.
Other wellness approaches do matter
Although certain natural products have been discussed as treatments for Covid-19, little emphasis has been placed on whole food nutrition as a protective measure. I think this is unfortunate, and I believe strengthening our immune system with the goal of battling Covid-19 and other viral infections is of great importance. And the evidence tells us that a nutrient dense diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep can all contribute to optimal immune function.
Regarding nutritional intake, a recently published study using a sample of health care workers who contracted Covid-19 noted that those who followed a plant-based or pescatarian diet had 73% and 59% lower odds of moderate to severe Covid-19, respectively, compared to those who did not follow those diets.
While people can use nutrition to help shore up their immune system against Covid-19, diet is only one important consideration. Other variables matter a great deal too, including stress management, nutritional supplements and physical distancing and mask-wearing.
Vaccines are not perfect, but they save lives
I find it interesting that nearly all parents understand the importance of having their kids vaccinated against serious illnesses like mumps, measles and varicella. They do not expect that certain foods, or a nurturing environment, will do the job of a vaccine. No lifestyle approach, including strict adherence to a holistic, nutrient-dense diet – vegan, plant-forward or otherwise – will confer total protection against COVID-19. The vaccines aren’t perfect either; breakthrough infections do occur in some cases, though the vaccines continue to provide robust protection against severe illness and death.
I encourage people to do all they can to improve the health and functioning of their immune system, naturally. When people make decisions based on the latest science — which is always evolving — rather than on emotions and misinformation, the decision should become much clearer.