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. 2020 Dec 20;12(12):3898.
doi: 10.3390/nu12123898.

Nutritional and Behavioral Approaches to Body Composition and Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation Management for Older Adults in the Ordinary and COVID-19 Times

Jasminka Z Ilich  1
Affiliations

Nutritional and Behavioral Approaches to Body Composition and Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation Management for Older Adults in the Ordinary and COVID-19 Times

Jasminka Z Ilich. Nutrients. .

Abstract

As more insight is gained into personalized health care, the importance of personalized nutritional and behavioral approaches is even more relevant in the COVID-19 era, in addition to the need for further elucidation regarding several diseases/conditions. One of these concerning body composition (in this context; bone, lean and adipose tissue) is osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) syndrome. OSA occurs most often with aging, but also in cases of some chronic diseases and is exacerbated with the presence of low-grade chronic inflammation (LGCI). OSA has been associated with poor nutrition, metabolic disorders and diminished functional abilities. This paper addresses various influences on OSA and LGCI, as well as their mutual action on each other, and provides nutritional and behavioral approaches which could be personalized to help with either preventing or managing OSA and LGCI in general, and specifically in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressed in more detail are nutritional recommendations for and roles of macro- and micronutrients and bioactive food components; the microbiome; and optimal physical activity regimens. Other issues, such as food insecurity and nutritional inadequacy, circadian misalignment and shift workers are addressed as well. Since there is still a lack of longer-term primary studies in COVID-19 patients (either acute or recovered) and interventions for OSA improvement, this discussion is based on the existing knowledge, scientific hypotheses and observations derived from similar conditions or studies just being published at the time of this writing.

Keywords: COVID-19; bioactive food components; chronobiology and circadian misalignment; low-grade chronic inflammation; macronutrients; microbiome; micronutrients; osteosarcopenic adiposity; physical activity; precision nutrition; shift workers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Various factors affecting body composition, presented as osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) and low-grade chronic inflammation (LGCI) as well as their mutual action on each other.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Specific nutritional and lifestyle factors affecting osteosarcopenic adiposity (OSA) and low-grade chronic inflammation (LGCI), leading to the increased risk for multiple adverse outcomes, including COVID-19. SFA, saturated fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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