Nutritional treatment and advice

Supporting patients at risk of malnutrition

There are different treatment options to manage malnutrition. Commonly, first-line dietary advice is provided with some patients also requiring short-term use (usually 12-weeks) of oral nutritional provided by health and social care professionals.

Micronutrients and COVID-19

There is much interest in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in people with COVID-19. However, to date there is limited evidence to support the use of specific nutrients to aid recovery. Instead the focus should be on achieving adequate micronutrient intake.

Energy, protein and other macronutrients and COVID-19

Advanced dietary advice should usually be provided by a nutrition expert such as a dietitian or healthcare professionals who have had appropriate training.

Emerging evidence

What is the latest on inflammation and histamine, vitamin and mineral supplements?

Patients Association nutrition checklist

We encourage you to use the Patients Association nutrition checklist and functional measures to start the conversation about patient nutritional needs.

Useful resources

References

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Aytür, Y.K. et al. (2020) ‘Pulmonary rehabilitation principles in SARS-COV-2 infection (COVID-19): A guideline for the acute and subacute rehabilitation’, p. 17.

Barazzoni, R. et al. (2020) ‘ESPEN expert statements and practical guidance for nutritional management of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection’, Clinical Nutrition, 39(6), pp. 1631–1638. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2020.03.022https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32305181/.

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Calder, P.C. (2020) ‘Nutrition, immunity and COVID-19’, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 3(1). doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000085.

Cawood, A.L. et al. (2020) ‘A Review of Nutrition Support Guidelines for Individuals with or Recovering from COVID-19 in the Community’, Nutrients, 12(11), p. 3230. doi:10.3390/nu12113230.

Hanson, C. et al. (2016) ‘The Relationship between Dietary Fiber Intake and Lung Function in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys’, Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 13(5), pp. 643–650. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201509-609OC.

Lawrence, V. et al. (2021) ‘A UK survey of nutritional care pathways for patients with COVID-19 prior to and post-hospital stay’, Journal of human nutrition and dietetics: the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 34(4), pp. 660–669. doi:10.1111/jhn.12896.

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Louca, P. et al. (2021) ‘Modest effects of dietary supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from 445 850 users of the COVID-19 Symptom Study app’, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health [Preprint]. doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000250.

Malnutrition Pathway (2020) ‘A Community Healthcare Professional Guide to the Nutritional Management of Patients During and After COVID-19 Illness’, p. 9.

Naidu, A.S., Pressman, P. and Clemens, R.A. (2021) ‘Coronavirus and Nutrition: What Is the Evidence for Dietary Supplements Usage for COVID-19 Control and Management?’, Nutrition Today, 56(1), pp. 19–25. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000462

Namdeo, P. (2021) ‘A Review on Herbal Immunity Booster and Nutrition W – To Fight against COVID-19’, 2021, p. 12.

NHS (2020) National guidance for post-COVID syndrome assessment clinics (6 November 2020), Patient Safety Learning – the hub. Available at: https://www.pslhub.org/learn/coronavirus-covid19/guidance/national-guidance-for-post-covid-syndrome-assessment-clinics-6-november-2020-r3465/ (Accessed: 9 January 2021).

NICE (2020) ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’, p. 35.

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