Nutrients Found in Grapes May Be Beneficial Against COVID-19

According to a press release from the California Table Grape Commission, recent research published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Clinical Infectious Diseases indicates that insufficient levels of vitamin K are associated with poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. The reported study appears to suggest a greater requirement for vitamin K during COVID-19 infection and that vitamin K deficiency may lead to severe consequences in the lungs of patients.

Vitamin K, which is abundant in certain foods such as grapes and leafy vegetables, is an essential nutrient that plays crucial roles in blood clotting by helping to regulate the equilibrium between biological factors that promote and inhibit coagulation. A lack of vitamin K in the body can cause this balance to become disrupted, resulting in a greater tendency of the blood to form clots. Although COVID-19 is primarily considered a respiratory disease, there is mounting evidence to support more widespread deleterious effects throughout the body, including a higher incidence of blood clots that can lead to increased mortality and morbidity.

In addition to its roles in blood clotting, vitamin K also inhibits soft tissue calcification and elastic fiber degradation, which are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events and deteriorated lung tissue integrity, respectively, as well as exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies have also indicated that some flavonoid compounds present in foods such as grapes, green tea, cacao and dark chocolate may provide a protective effect against COVID-19 by suppressing the activity of a crucial protease enzyme of SARS-CoV-2 involved in the cellular processes underlying infection. Computer simulations and laboratory experiments have shown that these natural plant compounds bind to the enzyme, thus hindering its mode of action.

“Anything that may help offset the negative impact of this devastating virus is worth knowing so the finding that natural components found in grapes — vitamin K and certain flavonoids — may play a beneficial role in the fight is worth sharing,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “These recent findings add to the substantial body of research built over 20 years indicating that eating fresh grapes can have significant positive effects on long-term health.”

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