SARS-COV-2 INFECTION AND SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAIN-GUINT AXIS: AN APPROACH TO DIET THERAPY TREATMENT IN POST-COVID-19 SYNDROME

Abstract

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, declared a pandemic on December 31, 2019, in Wuhan, China. The first case was confirmed in Brazil on February 26, 2020, spreading rapidly throughout the national territory. The gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms of the disease are associated with the close relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the central nervous system: the so-called brain-gut axis. This communication allows for interactions, explaining the occurrence of cognitive, neurodegenerative disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms associated with COVID-19. Several infected patients began to present persistent symptoms after infection, the so-called post-COVID-19 syndrome. In this context, this study presents a dietary approach to the management of persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms, through exploratory research and a bibliographic review in the main databases. The pandemic aroused the greatest interest of the population in relation to food, since the consumption of certain nutrients was associated with a better functioning of the immune system and consequent defense against the virus. By carrying out this study, we can conclude that a dietary therapy approach is able to help in the recovery of the intestinal microbiota and in the reduction of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms in individuals with persistent symptoms after infection with the virus. The nutritionist must adapt the prescribed diet to the persistent symptoms presented, adjusting the macronutrients and micronutrients, aiming at the better functioning of the immune system and the recovery of the inflammatory condition. Therefore, the dietary approach may contribute to the quality of life and recovery of patients with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms.