COVID control: Centre recommends dark chocolate, turmeric, oats and more

As new COVID cases in the country continue to cross 4 lakh a day, and daily mortality just short of 4,000, the Centre on Friday issued a set of guidelines to develop immunity ‘organically’.

The Centre’s citizen engagement Twitter handle MyGovIndia, which routinely comes out with ‘positive’ posts such as the number of recoveries made and vaccines given, as well as COVID myth-busters, put out a list of foods people may consume to develop resistance against diseases.

“Are you looking for natural ways to boost your immunity? We’ve got you covered!  Here’s few general measures which you can follow to boost your immunity organically amidst #COVID19. #StayHomeStaySafe,” it said.

For muscles and energy

Nutritionists have observed that to develop immunity against infections, it is important to consume foods that help the individual rebuild their muscles and boost their energy levels. In line with this, the government recommends the consumption of whole grains such as ragi, oats and amaranth. Also, “good sources of protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, paneer, soy, nuts & seeds” are recommended, it said.

Also read: Can you catch Coronavirus infection from food?

Also on the list are “healthy fats like walnuts, almonds, olive oil and mustard oil”, as well as five servings of “coloured fruits and vegetables to get adequate vitamins & minerals”. It further said people may have turmeric milk once a day to boost immunity, and include amchoor (dry mango powder) in their food.

“Regular physical activity (yoga) & breathing exercise advised (pranayam), as per tolerance” was also advised.

Additionally, the Twitter posts suggested that people have “small amounts of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa to get rid of anxiety.”

While some on Twitter thanked the government for the recommendations, some others said vaccine availability was the need of the hour. Yet some more asked to know if this was scientifically proven.

Tapping into Ayurveda

In yet another post today, the government recommended tapping into Ayurveda to boost immunity.  “Our #immunity is our best weapon against #Covid! We have been using immunity boosting methods since ages and these have become more relevant in times of COVID, follow these preventive self-care measures,” it said.

In this post, the advice was to take 10 g of Chyawanprash in the morning, 150 ml of hot turmeric milk once or twice a day, and herbal tea (with basil, cinnamon, black pepper, dry ginger and raisin) once or twice a day.As new COVID cases in the country continue to cross 4 lakh a day, and daily mortality just short of 4,000, the Centre on Friday issued a set of guidelines to develop immunity ‘organically