Your gut plays an extremely important role in maintaining your overall health. (Photo: Pixabay) Chills, fever, loss of taste and smell, malaise, and cold are some of the common symptoms of Covid-19. But, did you know that the virus also affects your gut and stomach? Rashi Chowdhary, a diabetes educator, recently took to Instagram and shared that “there’s one common post-infection symptom among so many people – gut issues and stomach cramps.”
She explained why and how the virus affects the gut along with possible solutions to manage the same.
“Even though covid is primarily a respiratory disease, it does impact our gut. And that’s because the virus enters our cells by latching onto protein receptors called ACE2. And we have the largest number of ACE2 receptors in our gut,” she said.
She continued, “Once the infection enters your gut, it changes the gut microbiome which leads to inflammation and causes diarrhoea, indigestion, and even pain every time you eat. Abdominal pain is also caused due to inflammation in the gut nerves.”
She shared that the virus tends to stay longer in the gut as compared to the respiratory tract, and that “the only way to recover from it to strengthen your gut microbiota.”
Below, she mentions some simple diet and nutrition tips to follow:
*”If you’re facing gut issues post covid, please make a point to strictly remove all processed food from diet,” she suggested.
*Eat lots of vegetables and fruits to reduce inflammation; you can have apples, berries, tomatoes, celery and onions.
*Include fermented foods to increase good bacteria. To know how probiotics improve gut health, read here.
*Make sure you consume adequate amounts of fluids and stay hydrated. “Water helps flush out toxins and also carries oxygen to your entire body,” she explained.
Get your dose of omega-3s. To know about plant-based sources, click here. “If your gut is extremely sensitive, you might need some professional help,” she concluded.
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