GUT MICROBIOME AND COVID-19

General things about immunity and covid-19 (T cells, CD8+)

Butyrate producing bacteria (SCFA)

Gut microbiota is essential for proper “education” of the immune system [1].

Diet in India – recommendations

In addition, studies have shown that healthy microbiome could be responsible for lower
coronavirus case fatality and important to counteract the disease [5, 6]. According to the
scientists, plant-based fiber rich diet and home-cooked food, consumed by majority of Indian
population, are favorable as they provide beneficial microbes to our gut, enhancing the
immunity. Furthermore, a better prognosis of COVID-19 patients in India was observed in
comparison to that in the western countries [8].

In the absence of effective therapy against COVID-19 and the fact that Your gut microbiome
is altered, even after clearance of virus, correct personalized diet that can modulate the
microbiome and its immune function, might help minimize the impact of the disease and heal
the dysbiosis [3, 5, 6].
Therefore, we suggest taking Olawell gut microbiome test to find out which dietary
recommendations are most suitable for your gut to shift it closer to ideal.

The microbiome, the last discovered organ of the human body, seems to be a significant
factor that plays a major role in the COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-talk between the gut
microbiome and lungs seems to be bidirectional (1, 2, 3). New data have shown that patients
with COVID-19 have an altered gut microbiome with depletion of beneficial commensals
(Eubacterium, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and Lachnospiraceae) and enrichment of
opportunistic pathogens (Clostridium, Actinomyces, Bacteroides) during hospitalization  (4,
5).

Gut microbiome profile was associated with COVID-19 disease severity (5), and altered gut
microbiota persisted even after clearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
2 (SARS-CoV-2) (4), suggesting that the virus might have a prolonged negative effect on
human microbiome homeostasis. The course of the disease may be more serious in people
suffering from intestinal dysbiosis caused by chronic diseases, obesity, or even old age (6).
A dysbiotic gut environment increases levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2),
which is the target of SARS-CoV-2 (7).
___________________________________________________________________________
Gut microbiota is essential for proper “education” of the immune system (1). According to the
scientific evidence, not only that effective T-cell-based vaccines depend on correct antigen
and adjuvant combinations but also that microbiota, diet, and the resulting exposure to
SCFAs might affect the durability of protective memory CD8+ T cell responses. The
microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate promotes cellular metabolism,
enhances memory potential of activated CD8+T cells, and is required for optimal recall
responses upon antigen re-encounter (2, 3). This leads to the conclusion that diet and gut
microbiome can affect long-term immunity. 

1. Zhang D, Li S, Wang N, Tan HY, Zhang Z, Feng Y. The cross-talk between gut
microbiota and lungs in common lung diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2020;11.
2. Dhar D, Mohanty A. Gut microbiota and Covid-19-possible link and implications.
Virus Research. 2020 May 13:198018.
3. Srinath BS, Shastry RP, Kumar SB. Role of gut-lung microbiome crosstalk in COVID-
19. Research on Biomedical Engineering. 2020 Nov 24:1-1.
4. Marsland BJ, Trompette A, Gollwitzer ES. The gut–lung axis in respiratory disease.
Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2015 Nov;12(Supplement 2):S150-6.
5. Zuo T, Zhang F, Lui GC, Yeoh YK, Li AY, Zhan H, Wan Y, Chung A, Cheung CP,
Chen N, Lai CK. Alterations in Gut Microbiota of patients with COVID-19 during time
of hospitalization. Gastroenterology. 2020 May 20.
6. Zeppa SD, Agostini D, Piccoli G, Stocchi V, Sestili P. Gut Microbiota Status in
COVID-19: An Unrecognized Player?. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology.
2020;10.
7. Yeoh YK, Zuo T, Lui GC, Zhang F, Liu Q, Li AY, Chung AC, Cheung CP, Tso EY,
Fung KS, Chan V. Gut microbiota composition reflects disease severity and
dysfunctional immune responses in patients with COVID-19. Gut.
8. Janda L, Mihalčin M, Šťastná M. Is a healthy microbiome respFaecal calprotectin
indicates intestinal inflammation in COVID-19onsible for lower mortality in COVID-
19?. Biologia. 2020 Oct 15:1-1.
9. van der Lelie D, Taghavi S. COVID-19 and the gut microbiome: more than a gut
feeling.
10. Chowdhury MA, Hossain N, Kashem MA, Shahid MA, Alam A. Immune response in
COVID-19: A review. Journal of Infection and Public Health. 2020 Jul 14.
11. Belkaid Y, Hand TW. Role of the microbiota in immunity and inflammation. Cell. 2014
Mar 27;157(1):121-41.
12. Rishi P, Thakur K, Vij S, Rishi L, Singh A, Kaur IP, Patel SK, Lee JK, Kalia VC. Diet,
Gut Microbiota and COVID-19. Indian Journal of Microbiology. 2020 Sep 28:1-0.

[1] Zhang, D., Li, S., Wang, N., Tan, H. Y., Zhang, Z., & Feng, Y. (2020). The cross-talk
between gut microbiota and lungs in common lung diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11.
[2] Dhar, D., & Mohanty, A. (2020). Gut microbiota and Covid-19-possible link and
implications. Virus Research, 198018.
[3] Srinath, B. S., Shastry, R. P., & Kumar, S. B. (2020). Role of gut-lung microbiome
crosstalk in COVID-19. Research on Biomedical Engineering, 1-11.
[4] Marsland, B. J., Trompette, A., & Gollwitzer, E. S. (2015). The gut–lung axis in respiratory
disease. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 12(Supplement 2), S150-S156.
[5] Zuo, T., Zhang, F., Lui, G. C., Yeoh, Y. K., Li, A. Y., Zhan, H., ... & Ng, S. C. (2020).
Alterations in Gut Microbiota of patients with COVID-19 during time of
hospitalization. Gastroenterology.
[6] Zeppa, S. D., Agostini, D., Piccoli, G., Stocchi, V., & Sestili, P. (2020). Gut Microbiota
Status in COVID-19: An Unrecognized Player?. Frontiers in cellular and infection
microbiology, 10.
[7] Yeoh, Y. K., Zuo, T., Lui, G. C. Y., Zhang, F., Liu, Q., Li, A. Y., ... & Ng, S. C. Gut
microbiota composition reflects disease severity and dysfunctional immune responses in
patients with COVID-19. Gut.
[8] Janda, L., Mihalčin, M., & Šťastná, M. (2020). Is a healthy microbiome responsible for
lower mortality in COVID-19?.. Biologia, 1-11.
[9] van der Lelie, D., & Taghavi, S. (2020). COVID-19 and the gut microbiome: more than a
gut feeling.
[10] Chowdhury, M. A., Hossain, N., Kashem, M. A., Shahid, M. A., & Alam, A. (2020).
Immune response in COVID-19: A review. Journal of Infection and Public Health.
[11] Belkaid, Y., & Hand, T. W. (2014). Role of the microbiota in immunity and
inflammation. Cell, 157(1), 121-141.
[12] Rishi, P., Thakur, K., Vij, S., Rishi, L., Singh, A., Kaur, I. P., ... & Kalia, V. C. (2020).
Diet, gut microbiota and COVID-19. Indian Journal of Microbiology, 1-10.