College of Human Sciences research suggests negative association between the Mediterranean diet and COVID-19 cases and deaths

Associate Professor of nutrition Mike Greene, building on his extensive research on Mediterranean diet adherence, has published a paper linking Mediterranean diet adherence to COVID-19 cases and deaths. The paper was co-authored by Alexis Roberts, an Auburn University graduate nutrition student, and Drew Frugé, assistant professor and director of the didactic program in dietetics.

The ecological study examined two dozen countries with universal healthcare systems to reduce confounding factors associated with COVID-19 care. Greene's team then studied the possible relationship between the Mediterranean diet and the severity of COVID-19 cases.

The research suggests that a healthy dietary pattern that reduces inflammation and risk of chronic disease, such as the Mediterranean diet, may reduce COVID-19 pathology and mortality. While more research directly examining the links between Mediterranean diet and COVID-19 will shed more light on this relationship, the results of the study are consistent with other findings that link healthy diets with reduced risk of disease.

Read the full paper at Frontiers in Nutrition here.