Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Clinical Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Nutr Rev. 2021 Jun 4;79(7):814-823. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa126.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan is not as disastrous as it is in other Western countries, possibly because of certain lifestyle factors. One such factor might be the seaweed-rich diet commonly consumed in Japan. COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the cell surface and downregulates ACE2, likely elevating the ratio of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) to ACE2. The overreaction of the immune system, combined with the cytokine storm and ACE dominance, is purported to cause the condition of COVID-19 patients to deteriorate rapidly. Dietary seaweeds contain numerous components, including ACE inhibitory peptides, soluble dietary fibers (eg, fucoidan, porphyran), omega-3 fatty acids, fucoxanthin, fucosterol, vitamins D3 and B12, and phlorotannins. These components exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects directly as well as indirectly through prebiotic effects. It is possible that ACE inhibitory components could minimize the ACE dominance caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, dietary seaweeds might confer protection against COVID-19 through multiple mechanisms. Overconsumption of seaweeds should be avoided, however, as seaweeds contain high levels of iodine.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）在日本的流行情况并不像其他西方国家那样严重，这可能与某些生活方式因素有关。其中一个因素可能是日本常见的富含海藻的饮食。COVID-19 是由严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）引起的，它与细胞表面的血管紧张素转化酶 2（ACE2）结合并下调 ACE2，可能会升高血管紧张素转换酶（ACE）与 ACE2 的比值。免疫系统的过度反应，加上细胞因子风暴和 ACE 优势，据说是导致 COVID-19 患者病情迅速恶化的原因。海藻含有多种成分，包括 ACE 抑制肽、可溶性膳食纤维（如褐藻胶、卡拉胶）、ω-3 脂肪酸、岩藻黄质、岩藻甾醇、维生素 D3 和 B12、以及缩合单宁。这些成分通过直接和间接的前体效应发挥抗氧化、抗炎和抗病毒作用。ACE 抑制成分可能会最大限度地减少 SARS-CoV-2 感染引起的 ACE 优势。因此，海藻饮食可能通过多种机制对 COVID-19 提供保护。然而，由于海藻含有高水平的碘，应避免过量食用海藻。
