With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19, initially much emphasis was laid on the elderly people, specifically those with other pre-existing health ailments such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are at a high risk of contracting and/or succumbing to COVID-19. But now it is coming into picture that gender difference is also one of the factors. The epidemiological findings postulated across different parts of the world indicated higher morbidity and mortality in males than females. The possible reasons are –
As per experts, women tend to have stronger immune systems than men.
Men are prone to contract the virus because they tend to ignore COVID-19 practices such as social distancing due to the irresponsible and careless attitude as compared to the women.
Furthermore, a large part of this difference in number of deaths is caused by gender behavior (lifestyle), i.e., higher levels of smoking and drinking (alcohol consumption) among men in comparison to women.
World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 63 percent of deaths related to COVID-19 in Europe have been among men. In addition to this, one of the underlying reasons why COVID-19 may be more deadly for men than women might be the fact that heart disease is more common in elderly men than in elderly women. Studies show that high blood pressure and liver disease are more prevalent in men and all these factors contribute to more negative outcomes with COVID-19.
Indian culture is more likely to promote men in outdoor / field work, where they are being exposed to extreme climatic condition and also to pollution. This further affects their immunity which directly impacts their response to COVID-19 infection.
Females indulge more in household work (cleaning, cooking, arranging house, managing kids etc.) in comparison to males. This boosts their metabolism and immunity. Specifically men who are inactive and have longer duration of sitting work have significantly weaker immunity as compared to those who are physically active.
It is important for both men and women to keep a check on their immunity level. However, men need to be more careful. Being physically active and having antioxidant rich balanced diet, along with personal protection are the major essentials that one should always keep in mind. Moreover it is very crucial to keep yourself hydrated and have a proper sleep without any stress for a healthy heart. So the following are some useful health related tips that you must follow to have good immunity-:
-Take few sips of luke warm water and add Himalayan salt/cinnamon stick/licorice in it, these herbs are good for boosting your immunity.
-Consume Vitamin C rich sources like amla/ lemon/ orange/ sweet lime/ kiwi/raspberries/ spinach/ guava.
-Probiotic found in curd helps to keep your gut healthy. It is recommended to go for room temperature curd and packed dairy probiotics curd.
-Substitute normal tea with green tea/herbal tea in your diet like turmeric, ginger/ tulsi tea/ cinnamon and licorice/ lemon grass tea etc.
-Add ginger, garlic and chili paste to all your food preparations such as dough, batter or sabji
-Fix a routine for consuming meals. It is always advised to have frequent meals to keep up your metabolism.
-Always try to avoid refined and processed food items and junk food. For instance, chips/namkeen/fried food/ samosa/pizza/burger/bhatura/maida products/cakes and pastries/ sugar beverages and refined sugar etc.
(The author is a lifestyle coach and diet counsellor. She tweets @Bipasha1sugati)
