Dietary intervention with functional foods modulating gut microbiota for improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Soyoung Oh; Haesook Seo

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15668

Dietary intervention with functional foods modulating gut microbiota for improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Heliyon. 2023 May;9(5):e15668. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15668. Epub 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Soyoung Oh¹, Haesook Seo¹

Affiliation

¹ Infectious Disease Research Center, Citizen's Health Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government, 110, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04524, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota with aging contributes to a reduction in important cross-feeding bacterial reactions in the gut and immunosenescence, which could contribute to a decrease in vaccine efficacy. Fever, cough, and fatigue are the main signs of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, some patients with COVID-19 present with gastrointestinal symptoms. COVID-19 vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the best measures to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and the severity of COVID-19. The immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines is influenced by the composition of the gut microbiota, and the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines decreases with age. In this review, we discuss gut microbiota dysbiosis and immunosenescence in the older adults, the role of gut microbiota in improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, and dietary interventions to improve the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in the older adults.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium; COVID-19 vaccine efficacy; Gut microbiota; Older adults; Probiotics.

Publication types

Review