No single diet has been proven to cure Long COVID or reliably relieve all its symptoms. The best-supported approach for now is to eat a varied, balanced diet, drink enough for your needs, and protect against weight loss or nutrient gaps if appetite is poor. Research on Mediterranean-style eating, probiotics, vitamins, and other supplements is still developing, so restrictive diets and high-dose supplements should not replace medical care.
What does the research say about diet and Long COVID?
Long COVID can involve ongoing fatigue, changes in taste or smell, digestive problems, and difficulty carrying out everyday activities. Nutrition may help people maintain their strength and meet their body's needs during recovery. However, researchers have not established a specific eating plan that consistently improves Long COVID symptoms or shortens recovery time.
A 2025 scoping review available through the U.S. National Library of Medicine's PubMed database examined 50 studies of diet and nutrition in adults with Long COVID. The studies explored different approaches, including Mediterranean-style diets, vitamins, amino acids, probiotics, and other nutritional interventions. Although many reported improvements in at least one symptom or health marker, the findings do not establish that a particular diet or supplement causes meaningful improvement. Larger, well-designed clinical trials are needed.
Earlier evidence was even more limited. A 2023 review published in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database identified only five eligible studies of nutritional interventions. The authors concluded that the evidence was insufficient to recommend a particular nutrient or dietary intervention as a treatment for Long COVID in the general population. Nutrition support can still be important for people with poor food intake, malnutrition, or loss of muscle, but these needs are different from proving that a diet treats the condition itself.
What should you eat if you have Long COVID?
A balanced, flexible eating pattern is a reasonable starting point. Rather than following a strict Long COVID diet, aim to obtain enough energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fluids to meet your individual needs. The UK National Health Service (NHS) recommends eating a balanced diet as part of self-management for Long COVID and recognizes that some people need additional help with diet and nutrition.
Everyday foods can provide a range of nutrients without requiring special products or expensive ingredients. Depending on your preferences, appetite, budget, and any other medical conditions, a balanced diet can include:
- Vegetables and fruits: Choose a variety of fresh, frozen, or otherwise conveniently prepared options.
- Protein-rich foods: Include beans, lentils, peas, eggs, fish, poultry, tofu, dairy products, or other suitable protein sources.
- Whole grains and other carbohydrate sources: Foods such as oats, whole-wheat bread, rice, potatoes, and other grains can help provide energy.
- Sources of healthy fats: Nuts, seeds, olive oil, and other unsaturated fat sources can contribute to a varied diet.
- Fluids: Drink regularly according to thirst, your activity, and any fluid restrictions recommended for an existing health condition.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus nutrition guidance emphasizes dietary variety and adequate nutrient intake rather than a single strict eating plan. The right balance depends on factors such as age, health conditions, usual diet, and nutritional needs.
Why are protein and adequate calories important?
Ongoing illness, reduced appetite, and difficulty preparing meals can make it harder to eat enough. If food intake stays too low, a person may lose weight or muscle and develop nutritional deficiencies. Protein supports the maintenance and repair of body tissues, while enough overall energy helps prevent the body from relying excessively on its own tissue reserves.
Useful options include eggs, yogurt, milk or fortified alternatives, fish, chicken, tofu, lentils, beans, and nut butters. The best choices depend on what you tolerate and what is practical for you. If you are unintentionally losing weight, struggling to eat enough, or becoming weaker, ask a healthcare professional to assess your nutritional needs. A registered dietitian can help develop an eating plan that fits your symptoms and any other medical conditions.
Can a Mediterranean or anti-inflammatory diet help Long COVID?
Mediterranean-style eating has been investigated in research on Long COVID, and it is one example of a balanced dietary pattern that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and unsaturated fats. However, evidence that this specific pattern treats Long COVID remains insufficient. It can be a reasonable way to eat, but it should not be presented as a proven treatment for persistent fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness, or other symptoms.
The term anti-inflammatory diet is also used for several different eating patterns. Some emphasize minimally processed foods, vegetables, fruits, fiber-rich grains, legumes, fish, and unsaturated fats. Research into whether these patterns improve Long COVID outcomes is ongoing. It is not yet possible to recommend a single anti-inflammatory diet, food combination, or nutrient target specifically for this condition.
Be cautious about claims that particular foods can reverse immune changes, remove a persistent virus, or restore gut health in a way that cures Long COVID. These explanations are sometimes used to market diets and products, but a proposed biological explanation is not the same as evidence that an intervention improves health outcomes in people.
Are supplements, vitamins, and probiotics effective?
Researchers have investigated vitamin D, vitamin C, B vitamins, amino acids, probiotics, synbiotics, and multinutrient products in people experiencing Long COVID. Some studies report promising findings, but the interventions, doses, participants, and outcomes vary. There is not enough reliable evidence to recommend a particular supplement or combination as a standard Long COVID treatment.
Supplements may still have a role when a person has a documented deficiency, cannot obtain enough nutrients from food, or has another medical reason to take them. Correcting a deficiency is different from taking extra nutrients in the hope of treating Long COVID. Ask a healthcare professional whether assessment or testing is appropriate before starting a high-dose supplement or a combination of products.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements explains that multivitamin and mineral products can increase the risk of excessive intake of certain nutrients. Supplements can also interact with medicines. More is not necessarily better, and products marketed for energy, immunity, or post-viral recovery should not be assumed to have proven benefits for Long COVID.
Should you try a gluten-free, dairy-free, or low-histamine diet?
There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend routine gluten-free, dairy-free, low-histamine, or other elimination diets as treatments for Long COVID. Some people may need to avoid a food because of coeliac disease, a food allergy, lactose intolerance, or another established medical reason. That is different from removing a food group simply because Long COVID symptoms are present.
Restricting several food groups can make it harder to obtain enough protein, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. Broad elimination diets can also increase the time, cost, and effort involved in preparing meals. If you notice a repeatable relationship between a particular food and a symptom, discuss it with a healthcare professional or dietitian before making major changes. A structured assessment can help determine whether a restriction is necessary and how to maintain a balanced diet.
How can you eat well when Long COVID symptoms affect meals?
For some people, the main nutritional challenge is not choosing the ideal diet but finding a manageable way to eat when symptoms interfere with shopping, cooking, appetite, or digestion. Changes in taste and smell, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and fatigue can all make usual eating routines difficult.
If fatigue makes cooking difficult
Choose convenient foods that still provide useful nutrients. Frozen vegetables, canned beans, ready-to-eat yogurt, eggs, simple sandwiches, soups, and prepared meals can reduce the work involved in eating regularly. Batch cooking when energy permits, using grocery delivery where available, or asking someone to help with meal preparation may also make it easier to maintain food intake.
If your appetite is low or you feel full quickly
Try smaller, more frequent meals or snacks instead of relying on a few large meals, provided this suits your symptoms. Foods that provide both energy and protein may be especially helpful when you can manage only small portions. If eating difficulties continue, a dietitian can suggest practical ways to increase nutrient intake without making meals overwhelming.
If taste or smell has changed
Experiment with foods that remain appealing to you, including different temperatures, textures, and mild seasonings. There is no need to force yourself to eat foods that trigger nausea or are difficult to tolerate. If altered taste or smell is causing ongoing weight loss or preventing adequate food intake, discuss it with a healthcare professional.
If digestive symptoms are affecting your diet
Keep track of symptoms and meals when doing so is practical. A brief record may help identify patterns worth discussing with a clinician. Persistent diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, or worsening food intolerance deserves assessment rather than repeated self-directed dietary restriction. If swallowing is difficult or food or liquids cause coughing or choking, seek medical advice about safe swallowing and appropriate food consistency.
Does hydration help with Long COVID?
Maintaining adequate fluid intake supports normal body function, but drinking extra water has not been established as a treatment for Long COVID itself. Fluid needs vary with age, activity, climate, other health conditions, and medicines. People who have been advised to restrict fluids because of heart or kidney problems, for example, should follow their individualized medical guidance rather than increase intake based on general advice.
Some people with persistent symptoms also experience dizziness or difficulty tolerating an upright position. These symptoms can have several causes and warrant clinical assessment. Do not automatically increase salt intake or use electrolyte products to manage them without appropriate advice, particularly if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease, or a prescribed dietary restriction.
When should you seek professional nutrition advice?
Consider speaking with a doctor or registered dietitian if you have persistent poor appetite, unintended weight loss, ongoing gastrointestinal problems, difficulty meeting your nutritional needs, or uncertainty about supplements and food restrictions. A clinician can review your symptoms, medical history, medicines, and dietary intake to determine whether a nutritional deficiency or another problem needs attention.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individualized, symptom-focused care for Long COVID. Nutrition can form part of that care, alongside evaluation and management of other health concerns. A food diary may help you and your healthcare team understand which eating patterns are manageable, whether certain symptoms repeatedly follow meals, and whether changes are affecting your weight or day-to-day function.
Children and teenagers have additional nutritional needs because they are growing, and most of the Long COVID nutrition intervention research has involved adults. Young people should not start restrictive diets or high-dose supplements for Long COVID without guidance from an appropriate healthcare professional. Older adults and people with chronic illnesses may also need tailored advice when appetite, weight, or nutrient intake changes.
The bottom line on Long COVID diets
The evidence supports a cautious, practical approach: aim for a balanced diet, maintain adequate energy and protein intake, stay appropriately hydrated, and address nutritional problems when they arise. No specific diet, supplement, probiotic, or elimination plan has been established as a reliable treatment for Long COVID. Promising research deserves further study, but major dietary restrictions and expensive products are not necessary for everyone. When symptoms make eating difficult or nutritional status is declining, individualized clinical and dietetic support is more useful than following unproven online recommendations.