Vitamin C, zinc do not decrease the symptoms of Covid-19, according to the study

by

No, not even at high doses, according to the first randomized clinical trial to try both supplements under medical supervision.

Despite the popular use of vitamin C and zinc to combat or reduce the severity of viral colds and flu, the new study, published Friday in the JAMA Network Open, found that the two supplements had no benefit for people who ‘isolated at home with Covid-19. .

In fact, the findings were not so impressive that the study stopped soon.

“Unfortunately, these two supplements have not lived up to their hype,” wrote Dr. Hopper’s Dr. Erin Michos and Dr. Houston Methodist Dr. Miguel Cainzos-Achirica in an attached editorial.
Do you need to take a dietary supplement to prevent disease?

The clinical trial gave high doses of each supplement alone and in combination to one of three groups of 214 adults recovering at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as medications for rest, hydration, and fever reduction, but no supplements.

“High-dose zinc gluconate (zinc), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or both supplements did not reduce the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2,” according to Dr.

High doses, however, caused some unpleasant side effects in patients taking the supplements.

“More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplement groups than in the usual care group,” wrote Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Cainzos. -Achirica, assistant professor of preventive cardiology at Houston Methodist.

Popular supplements

Many Americans turn to vitamin C and zinc supplements to fight viral colds and the flu.

Vitamin C is a recognized antioxidant and plays an essential role in supporting the immune system. Although it has not been shown to prevent disease, others research has found vitamin C can shorten colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children.

Choose anti-inflammatory foods to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the study
The use of vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms, however, does not seem useful, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Zinc may help a cell’s ability to fight infection, according to the study, “although there is evidence that zinc deficiency increases proinflammatory cytokines and decreases antibody production.”

But what does this mean in real life? If taken within 24 hours after the first signs of a cold, zinc can reduce the duration of a cold by just one day, according to a review of 13 studies.
There is also a downside. Taking more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day can cause heartburn, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. The average recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 75 milligrams for adult women and 90 milligrams for men.

More than 40 milligrams of zinc each day can cause dry mouth, nausea, loss of appetite and diarrhea, in addition to having an unpleasant metallic taste.

Long-term users may have “low levels of copper, lower immunity, and low levels of HDL cholesterol (the“ good ”cholesterol),” according to the NIH. In 2009, the FDA warned the public against the use of zinc nasal sprays because they were related to more than 100 cases of olfactory loss.

The investigation continues

Scientists continue to explore the use of vitamins and supplements in the treatment of Covid-19.

Randomized trials are currently being conducted to see if vitamin D supplements can help, in addition to supporting healthy bone growth, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties.

Researchers in the U.S. and China use intravenous doses of vitamin C to determine if it can help people with respiratory failure severe enough to get on a ventilator.

And there are more studies underway to see if Covid-19 can be prevented by supplements like vitamins C and D and zinc.

Based on this study, however, the use of vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of Covid-19 seems futile.

CNN’s Maggie Fox contributed to this story.

.Source