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El Bilali H, Ben Hassen T. Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region. Foods 2024; 13:297. [PMID: 38254598 PMCID: PMC10815245 DOI: 10.3390/foods13020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid El Bilali
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy;
| | - Tarek Ben Hassen
- Program of Policy, Planning, and Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
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Guerrero-Romero F, Micke O, Simental-Mendía LE, Rodríguez-Morán M, Vormann J, Iotti S, Banjanin N, Rosanoff A, Baniasadi S, Pourdowlat G, Nechifor M. Importance of Magnesium Status in COVID-19. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050735. [PMID: 37237547 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A large amount of published research points to the interesting concept (hypothesis) that magnesium (Mg) status may have relevance for the outcome of COVID-19 and that Mg could be protective during the COVID disease course. As an essential element, Mg plays basic biochemical, cellular, and physiological roles required for cardiovascular, immunological, respiratory, and neurological functions. Both low serum and dietary Mg have been associated with the severity of COVID-19 outcomes, including mortality; both are also associated with COVID-19 risk factors such as older age, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and asthma. In addition, populations with high rates of COVID-19 mortality and hospitalization tend to consume diets high in modern processed foods, which are generally low in Mg. In this review, we review the research to describe and consider the possible impact of Mg and Mg status on COVID-19 showing that (1) serum Mg between 2.19 and 2.26 mg/dL and dietary Mg intakes > 329 mg/day could be protective during the disease course and (2) inhaled Mg may improve oxygenation of hypoxic COVID-19 patients. In spite of such promise, oral Mg for COVID-19 has thus far been studied only in combination with other nutrients. Mg deficiency is involved in the occurrence and aggravation of neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19, including memory loss, cognition, loss of taste and smell, ataxia, confusion, dizziness, and headache. Potential of zinc and/or Mg as useful for increasing drug therapy effectiveness or reducing adverse effect of anti-COVID-19 drugs is reviewed. Oral Mg trials of patients with COVID-19 are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oliver Micke
- Department of Radiation Therapy and Radiation Oncology, Franziskus Hospital, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | | | - Juergen Vormann
- Institute for Prevention and Nutrition, 85737 Ismaning, Germany
| | - Stefano Iotti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Universita di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, 00136 Rome, Italy
| | - Nikolina Banjanin
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Ecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Andrea Rosanoff
- CMER Center for Magnesium Education & Research, Pahoa, HI 96778, USA
| | - Shadi Baniasadi
- Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 198396-3113, Iran
| | - Guitti Pourdowlat
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Centre, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 198396-3113, Iran
| | - Mihai Nechifor
- Department of Pharmacology, Gr. T Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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Ambra R, Melloni S, Venneria E. Could Selenium Supplementation Prevent COVID-19? A Comprehensive Review of Available Studies. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104130. [PMID: 37241870 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to systematically examine the scientific evidence investigating selenium's relationship with COVID-19, aiming to support, or refute, the growing hypothesis that supplementation could prevent COVID-19 etiopathogenesis. In fact, immediately after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several speculative reviews suggested that selenium supplementation in the general population could act as a silver bullet to limit or even prevent the disease. Instead, a deep reading of the scientific reports on selenium and COVID-19 that are available to date supports neither the specific role of selenium in COVID-19 severity, nor the role of its supplementation in the prevention disease onset, nor its etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ambra
- Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA)-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
| | - Sahara Melloni
- Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA)-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenia Venneria
- Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA)-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
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