Are plant-based meals good for your immune system? 4 things to know about improving your health this week.

Plant-based eaters may have a lower risk of COVID-19

A new study published this week in the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention and Health found that people who mostly follow a plant-based or vegetarian diet had a 39% lower chance of getting infected with COVID-19 compared to those who eat a diet that includes meat.

The researchers looked at 702 adults and observed that those who ate more vegetables, legumes and nuts — as well as less dairy and meat — had a lower incidence of COVID-19. While the study cannot prove cause and effect and more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, the research suggests that plant-based diets might provide nutrients that boost the immune system and help fight viral infections.

There’s plenty of evidence about the benefits of a plant-based diet. A recent twin study from Stanford University found that the identical twin who stuck to a healthy plant-based diet — vs. a healthy diet that also incorporated animal products, which is what their twin sibling followed — saw a significant improvement in their cardiometabolic health markers, including lower insulin levels and lower LDL “bad” cholesterol. Plant-based diets also tend to be higher in fiber, a macronutrient that many American diets lack, but can help reduce your risk of certain diseases such as colon cancer.

If giving up animal products isn’t something you want to do, you can reap some of the benefits of a plant-based diet by incorporating things like “Meatless Mondays” into your week, or scaling back on the amount of meat and dairy you buy when you are the grocery store in favor of vegetarian items, including nuts and seeds. If you do have an interest in veganism, January may be the ideal time to try it out, thanks to the challenge “Veganuary,” which encourages people to (at least temporarily) ditch animal products.

Bottled water has more nanoplastics than previously thought

If you grab a plastic bottle of water from your fridge before heading out to the gym, you may want to reconsider. Research published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that there is 10 to 100 times greater amounts of nanoplastics than previously estimated in bottled water. That’s a problem because nanoplastics, which are tiny flecks of plastic unseen to the naked eye, may negatively impact health thanks to their ability to get into human cells and their potential to cross the blood-brain barrier, which helps protect the brain from harmful substances.

It’s impossible to avoid all nanoplastics, and their larger counterparts microplastics, as they are now pretty much everywhere, including in our oceans, the air and even in the food we eat. When it comes to nanoplastics in drinking water, however, you can lessen your exposure by skipping the bottled water and using filtered tap instead. Even though tap water also contains nanoplastics, research shows it's less than bottled water. Avoid plastic bottled water and get a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle instead. (Just remember to give your bottle a thorough cleaning every once in a while.)

Where you get your news may impact how aware you are of misinformation

Research from Penn State, published in the journal New Media & Society, found that people are less vigilant about misinformation when they are reading on their phones compared to on their computer. This is especially true for people who use their phone regularly, which, let's face it, is many of us.

Misinformation isn’t just something to think about when it comes to politics or even celebrity gossip: It can also have a major impact on your health. Studies have previously shown that people exposed to misinformation online may be more susceptible to unsafe sex practices (which can increase the risk of sexually-transmitted infections) and even disordered eating.

Next time you’re engrossed in an alarming article on your phone — or thinking about sharing it with a friend — take steps to see if the news may not be accurate, such as checking the source and seeing how the same news is covered in other places.

Watching other people disgusted by broccoli might make you dislike it too

If all of your friends hated vegetables, would you too? It's possible, according to a recent U.K. study, in which researchers explored how observing others' facial expressions while eating raw broccoli impacts whether young women like and want to eat the vegetable. The results showed that negative facial expressions — like the kind you make when you’re forced to eat something you don’t like — made the women like broccoli less, highlighting the influence of observing food dislike on eating behavior. Surprisingly, positive facial expressions — like you might see on the face of your friend who loves ordering Brussels sprouts as a side dish — did not increase participants’ desire for the veggie in question.

What does this mean for you? Well, it could mean that the food preferences of the people around you — specifically, what they don’t enjoy eating — may have an impact on your own taste. It might even be worth reevaluating some of the foods you always thought you hated: Do you actually hate cooked carrots, or were you influenced by your older brother pushing them away from his plate when you were kids? Experts say that a varied diet that includes 30 or more fruits and vegetables a week can boost your gut health, so health-wise, it's worth trying to get in as many plants as possible.