ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Immunology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1575130
The dynamic linkage between COVID-19 and nutrition: A review on probiotics perspective using machine learning and bibliometric techniques
Provisionally accepted
Christos Stefanis1*
Christina Tsigalou1
Ioanna Bezirtzoglou2
Gregoria Mitropoulou3
Chrysa (Chrysa) Voidarou4
Elisavet Stavropoulou1- 1Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- 2School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- 3Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- 4Laboratory of Animal Health, Food Hygiene and Quality, University of Ioannina, Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture, Arta, Greece, Arta, Greece
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The pandemic crisis is now a memorable milestone in the history of science, not only for the impacts on the population’s health but also for the effort of the medical community to find immediate solutions amid the pandemic so that appropriate therapeutic means can be provided. Diet and nutrition could not fail to be studied in the context of combating the side effects of COVID-19. This study attempts to detect the relationship between dietary patterns and the disease of COVID-19 and emphasises research on probiotics by mapping the knowledge produced during the pandemic until 2024. In addition to bibliometrics, a machine-learning framework, ASReview, was used to structure the literature search. With this method, 2309 articles were collected from the PubMed database, with 599 constituting inputs into bibliometric software and further analysis. Food choices, dietary patterns, vitamins and their role (vitamin D), obesity, and probiotics were keywords that attracted global research attention. Dietary supplements also constituted a field of study regarding the evolution of the disease and the impact they could have after the first pandemic wave. Probiotics were considered an adjunct therapeutic intervention not only during the period before the development of vaccines but also alongside other therapeutic solutions. Whether used preventively or during the treatment phase, probiotics were studied to combat COVID-19 due to their potential role in immunomodulation and ability to regulate gut microbiota during respiratory infections.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Bibliometrics, Diet, Probiotics, nutrition, ASReview
Received: 12 Feb 2025; Accepted: 15 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Stefanis, Tsigalou, Bezirtzoglou, Mitropoulou, Voidarou and Stavropoulou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Christos Stefanis, Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.