"A Strong Immune System Is as Important as the Coronavirus Vaccine"

Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Scientific Board Member Prof. Dr. Serhat Ünal: "A strong immune system is as important as coronavirus vaccination in fighting disease" During the pandemic, nutrition and the extent to which the numerous reports on this subject in the media reflected scientific facts were addressed at the most comprehensive international conference organized in the field by the Sabri Ülker Foundation. At the conference where expert speakers from Turkey and abroad in the fields of nutrition and communication took the floor, Scientific Board Member Prof. Serhat Ünal provided information on recent coronavirus vaccine research while emphasizing the importance of a strong immune system. At the Nutrition and Health Communication Conference held digitally between 17-18 November, it was noted that scientific information communication and media literacy are of great importance for the future of public health, and that information pollution increases the risk of contracting disease. Held digitally under the auspices of the Sabri Ülker Foundation, which runs projects aimed at ensuring that scientific information on food, nutrition and health matters are used as a basis in society, the Nutrition and Health Communication Conference brought together world-renowned experts on 17-18 November. Prof. Dr. Serhat Ünal, a member of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Scientific Board and Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Vaccine Institute who contracted and recovered from COVID-19, stated that humanity has fought many diseases such as plague, cholera, malaria and SARS over centuries and that coronavirus was not actually a surprise. Noting that the world cooperated against coronavirus but that the epidemic has not been stopped at this point, Prof. Ünal said: "Masks, distance and hand hygiene are essential to stop the epidemic. However, these measures have not been properly implemented throughout the world. While options like virus mutation, herd immunity, effective treatment and medication are discussed, it seems this will be resolved through vaccination. There is hope in vaccination, but maintaining a strong immune system is also very important. Coronavirus continues to devastate the world. We cannot abandon masks, distance and hand hygiene. We must not forget basic healthy living rules. Regular health check-ups, staying away from stress if possible, regular exercise, regular sleep and healthy and balanced nutrition are very important. A healthy body means a healthy immune system. A well-functioning immune system is our most important strength against all diseases, especially coronavirus. It has been scientifically proven that vitamins C and D are extremely important in fighting this disease. In addition to these vitamins, it is very important to include them in our diet." At the conference, Prof. Hans Konrad Biesalski, Head of the Department of Biological Chemistry and Center for Nutrition and Food Safety at Hohenheim University, Dr. Julian D. Stowell, Sabri Ülker Foundation Scientific Board Member, Prof. H. Tanju Besler, Vice Rector of İstinye University and Faculty Member of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Temel Yılmaz, President of the Turkey Diabetes Foundation, Prof. İrfan Erol from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Eastern Mediterranean University, Selahattin Dönmez, Specialist Dietitian, and Berrin Yiğit, Dietitian, explained basic topics such as immune system, chronic diseases, emotional hunger, popular diets, food literacy and common misconceptions with examples. Prof. Hans Konrad Biesalski, Head of the Department of Biological Chemistry and Center for Nutrition and Food Safety at Hohenheim University, drew attention to the fact that vitamin D deficiency can increase the severity of COVID-19 disease, emphasizing that those who spend a lot of time indoors are also at risk.

The pandemic has also changed our habits

In recent research shared at the conference, it was noted that many habits related to healthy living and nutrition changed during the pandemic. According to studies conducted in Turkey during the pandemic:

• The tendency toward healthy nutrition increased from 19% to 25%.
• 50% of the public stated they gained 4 kilograms, while 10% said they lost 4 kilograms.
• Snacking frequency increased by 45%; snacking 1-2 hours before bed increased by 10%.
• The proportion of those who frequently cooked meals increased from 33% to 80%, and health awareness in cooking reached 91%.
• The proportion of those skipping lunch due to late breakfast increased by 32%.
• Dietary supplement use increased from 51% to 60%.
• Sleep patterns were disrupted at a rate of 75% due to the pandemic.
• While those who exercised maintained their habits, the proportion of those exercising at home increased from 54% to 90%.

We need to be more selective about media literacy

On the second day of the conference, attention was drawn to the importance of scientific information in combating the pandemic, while citizens were invited to be more selective about media literacy to distinguish whether information in communication channels is scientific. Prof. K. Vish Viswanath from Harvard University's Department of Health Communication, Prof. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University and Senior Member of the CRIC Center at Oxford University, Hakan Güldağ, Chairman of the Board of Dünya Newspaper, Founder of the Institute of Communication and Business Sciences Prof. Ali Atıf Bir, Prof. Klaus Grunert, Director of the MAPP Research Center at Aarhus University, Roy Ballam, Executive Director of the Education Department at the British Nutrition Foundation, Fiona Lethbridge, Senior Media Expert at Science Media Center, Dr. Ayşegül Selışık, FAO Turkey Deputy Representative On the second day, where FAO-supported Nutrition and Dietitian Expert Dilara Koçak also participated as speakers, the importance of scientific information communication and media literacy for public health was discussed.

Harvard Prof. Viswanath: Those with a voice must verify the scientific accuracy of information before publishing it

Harvard University Department of Health Communication Professor K. Vish Viswanath, in his speech explaining the challenges and opportunities of science communication in our era, said: "One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is the complex structure of the information ecosystem. There are many different views and perspectives on the definition of verified accurate news. There are social and psychological barriers to society's understanding of science. These also affect how people perceive accurate information. To resolve this situation, those with a voice in communication channels weighing the scientific accuracy of information before disseminating it plays a very important role in the future of public health" he said.

Prof. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan: Information pollution misleads the public on every matter of social concern

In the session titled 'Effects of Information Pollution in Communication on Society' attended by Prof. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University and Senior Member of the CRIC Center at Oxford University, and Journalist Hakan Güldağ, Chairman of the Board of Dünya Newspaper, the impact of information on societies was addressed from all angles. Prof. Arıboğan pointed out that information pollution not only in the field of public health but also on many matters of social concern misleads the public and causes the public to be misdirected in the fields of economics and politics, speaking of the power of public opinion in decision-making processes. Emphasizing that manipulated content can sometimes lead to transformations in society that are very difficult to reverse, Prof. Arıboğan noted that sometimes seemingly innocent 'false information' grows like an avalanche in the social media age. Journalist Hakan Güldağ explained the problems of science journalism in Turkey, drawing attention to the importance of specialization. Güldağ noted that journalism has shifted to the internet in recent years, which brings different problems with it.

Dr. Ayşegül Selışık: 44 countries need external food aid

FAO Turkey Deputy Representative Dr. Ayşegül Selışık and FAO-supported Nutrition Expert Dilara Koçak shared recent developments on agriculture and nutrition facts. Dr. Ayşegül Selışık reported that COVID-19 exists in 185 countries worldwide, of which 44 countries need external food aid, and emphasized that these countries would be in a very difficult situation if global food trade were disrupted. Stating that Turkey is the world's seventh largest agricultural producer, Selışık said: "It is highly likely that we will be affected by global fluctuations. However, no problems are expected in food supply and security in the short and medium term. Turkey is one of the largest food suppliers to Europe, the Middle East, Eurasia and Central Asia. If shipping routes are blocked, producers will also be negatively affected." Offering some suggestions to overcome the difficulties to be faced, Selışık said: "Access points for shipment and delivery in the food chain should be planned. Digital applications should be developed to facilitate communication. Supply chain disruptions and quarantine measures experienced during the COVID-19 process led to significant increases in food loss and waste. For this reason, innovative business models should be created with the participation of the private sector and these models should be financed with new approaches. In addition, the food banking option should be evaluated."