Canadian researchers said they are investigating a popular
superfood - the
acai berry - as a treatment to prevent
Covid-
19's most severe symptoms, several media outlets have reported.
Past studies have shown the berry's extract may act as an inflammation inhibitor, which doctors believe could help prohibit the severe inflammatory response caused by the
coronavirus.
University of Toronto scientists Michael
Farkouh and Ana
Andreazza, who have studied the berry's effect on inflammation responses for nearly five years, are researching how it can be used to fight
COVID-19.
"It's a long shot,"
Farkouh told
AFP. "But
acai berries are cheap and easily accessible for everyone, as well as safe, so it was worth trying."
The pair enrolled some 580 patients who have tested positive for
coronavirus in Canada and Brazil, where the berry is grown. Half took doses of the extract while the rest received placebos. The hope is that early intervention with
acai could help prevent some of the disease's worst symptoms, which can lead to hospitalization and death,
Farkouh said.
He explained that the extract specifically targets the same
NLRP3 pathway as the
coronavirus, which when activated triggers the body's response to fight off infection and stress.
Results of the 30-day study are expected to be released at the end of 2020.