Ecological studies on food consumption and death rates in countries
Although many factors are involved in COVID-19 mortality,7-13 a recent hypothesis proposed that differences between countries may partly be explained by diet with fermented foods and certain vegetables that are potent anti-oxidants.2 Two studies examined the association between the COVID-19 mortality rate in EU countries and diet. The consumption of fermented vegetables, head cabbage and cucumber was associated with lower death rates.3,4 Even though these are ecological studies, they support the association between diet and fatality. A healthy diet, rich in antioxidants, has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate the cytokine storm that develops in COVID-19.14