Do Vitamin C and Zinc Help Fight Covid-19?
No, not even in high doses, according to some of the first clinical trials to test supplements under medical supervision.
Despite the popular use of vitamin C and zinc to fight 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 isolated people at home with Covid-19.
Clinical trials gave high doses of each supplement to three groups of 214 people being cured / treated at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as rest, hydration, fever-reducing medications, and 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 Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Milind Desai and a team from the Cleveland Clinic.
High doses, however, have caused some unpleasant side effects for patients taking supplements.
"More side effects (dizziness, diarrhea and stomach pain) were reported in groups that had taken high doses of supplements.
Many people turn to vitamin C and zinc to fight viral colds and flu. Vitamin C is a known antioxidant and plays an essential role in supporting the immune system. Although it has not been shown to prevent the disease, other studies have found that it can reduce colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children.
However, the use of vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not seem so beneficial, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
Zinc may help a cell's ability to fight infection, the study said, "while there is evidence that zinc deficiency increases pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreases antibody production."
Çfarë do të thotë kjo në jetën reale? Nëse merret brenda 24 orëve nga shenjat e para të një ftohjeje, zinku mund të zvogëlojë gjatësinë e një të ftohti me vetëm një ditë, sipas një përmbledhjeje të 13 studimeve.
Marrja e mbi 2,000 miligramë të vitaminës C në ditë mund të shkaktojë urth, ngërçe në stomak, të përziera, të vjella, diarre dhe dhimbje koke. Sasia mesatare ditore e rekomanduar e vitaminës C është 75 miligramë për gratë dhe 90 miligramë për burrat.
Mbi 40 miligramë zink çdo ditë mund të shkaktojë tharje të gojës, të përziera, humbje të oreksit dhe diarre, plus që mund të ketë një shije të keqe metalike.
Hulumtimi vazhdon
Shkencëtarët po vazhdojnë të eksplorojnë përdorimin e vitaminave dhe suplementeve në trajtimin e Covid-19.
However, based on the study mentioned above, it seems that the use of vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of Covid-19 is useless.
Source: CNN
