It has been more than a year that we have been anxiously spending most of our time indoors. This has impacted our lifestyle, including our appetite and nutrition. Emotional snacking and poorly-balanced meals are on the rise as many people manage both kitchen and workplace duties on their own. But good digestive health is vital amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, say experts, as a stronger immune system can fight the virus better. 

For instance, a paper published in the journal ‘Gut’ found that the variety of bacteria in the gut -- known as the gut microbiome -- may influence the severity of Covid-19 as well as the level of the immune system response to the infection, PTI reported in January this year. “Covid-19 infection can also lead to gastro-intestinal presentation in the form of loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and pain in the abdomen," explains Dr. Roy Patankar, gastroenterologist and director of Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur. "Many Covid patients are coming with a range of digestive issues like bloating, gaseousness, acidity, acid reflux, constipation, and exacerbation of irritable bowel syndrome, in he recovery phase after the Covid infection.”