Long COVID continues to affect millions of Americans, but new research points to a factor that might be both important and preventable: food insecurity.
In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that U.S. adults who lacked reliable access to enough food were more likely to report symptoms of long COVID. The findings suggest that improving food access, through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), could play a role in reducing the long-term health impact of COVID-19.
Food insecurity can worsen overall health in many ways, including increased stress, poor diet quality and weakened immune response. Researchers believe these pathways may help explain why people who struggle to access food are more vulnerable to lingering symptoms after a COVID infection.
“Food insecurity may be a modifiable risk factor for long COVID,” the authors wrote, noting that policy changes like raising awareness, simplifying enrollment in food assistance programs and strengthening SNAP could have broad health benefits.
While the study does not prove that food insecurity directly causes long COVID, it adds to growing evidence that social factors, including nutrition access, influence recovery and resilience after illness. By addressing these barriers, experts say public health programs may help reduce the burden of long COVID while improving overall health equity.
The authors reported no outside funding for this study.