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aiman Rahman3,41Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran; 2Razga Company, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq; 3Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq; 4Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaimaniyah, IraqCorrespondence: Abdullah Khalid Omer; Heshu Sulaiman Rahman, Tel +964 772 860 3692 ; +964 772 615 9598, Email [email protected] ; [email protected] Due to the absence of successful therapy, vaccines for protection are continuously being developed. Since vaccines must be thoroughly tested, viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs), mainly coronaviruses, have seriously affected human health worldwide in recent years. In this review, we presented the relevant data which originated from trusted publishers regarding the practical benefits of functional foods (FFs) and their dietary sources, in addition to natural plant products, in viral respiratory and COVID-19 prevention and immune-boosting activities. As a result, FFs were confirmed to be functionally active ingredients for preventing COVID-19 and VRTIs. Furthermore, the antiviral activity and immunological effects of FFs against VRTIs and COVID-19 and their potential main mechanisms of action are also being reviewed. Therefore, to prevent COVID-19 and VRTIs, it is critical to identify controlling the activities and immune-enhancing functional food constituents as early as possible. We further aimed to summarize functional food constituents as a dietary supplement that aids in immune system boosting and may effectively reduce VRTIs and COVID-19 and promote therapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]