Since the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is linked to chronic inflammation, people with initial lower inflammatory status could have better outcomes from exposure to this disease. Because dietary habits are one of the most important modifiable risk factors for inflammation, identification of dietary components associated with inflammation could play a significant role in controlling or reducing the risk of COVID-19. We investigated the inflammatory potential of diets consumed by African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) women of childbearing age (n = 509) who are at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 by being residents of Birmingham, Alabama, a city severely affected by this pandemic. The overall pro- and anti- inflammatory scores were calculated using dietary intake data gathered using Block food frequency questionnaire. The proinflammatory potential of diets consumed by AAs was significantly higher compared to CAs. Several anti- and proinflammatory nutrients and food groups consumed differed by race. With consumption of a greater number of antioxidants and B-vitamins, CAs switched toward an anti-inflammatory score more effectively than AAs while AAs performed better than CAs in improving the anti-inflammatory score with the consumption of a greater number of minerals and vitamin D. Effective race-specific dietary modifications or supplementation with nutrients identified will be useful to improve proinflammatory diets toward anti-inflammatory. This approach could aid in controlling the current COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics of a similar nature in women at risk for exposure.

由于持续的 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 大流行与慢性炎症有关，因此最初炎症状态较低的人接触这种疾病可能会有更好的结果。由于饮食习惯是炎症最重要的可改变风险因素之一，因此识别与炎症相关的饮食成分可能在控制或降低 COVID-19 风险方面发挥重要作用。我们调查了非裔美国人 (AA) 和高加索裔美国人 (CA) 育龄妇女饮食的炎症潜力 ( n = 509) 是阿拉巴马州伯明翰市的居民，他们面临接触 COVID-19 的高风险，该市是受这一大流行病严重影响的城市。使用块食物频率问卷收集的膳食摄入数据计算总体促炎和抗炎评分。与 CA 相比，AA 消耗的饮食的促炎潜力明显更高。食用的几种抗炎和促炎营养素和食物组因种族而异。随着抗氧化剂和 B 族维生素的摄入量增加，CA 比 AA 更有效地转向抗炎评分，而 AA 在通过摄入更多矿物质和维生素 D 改善抗炎评分方面表现优于 CA . 有效的针对特定种族的饮食调整或补充已确定的营养素将有助于改善促炎饮食以达到抗炎的目的。这种方法可以帮助控制当前的 COVID-19 大流行和未来在有暴露风险的女性中发生的类似性质的大流行。