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Everyone is looking for a head start in the fight to keep COVID-19 at bay. However, two supplements that experts hoped might offer additional protection against the disease fall short after all, according to a new study.
Taking zinc or vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – or a combination of the two – does not decrease the severity or duration of symptoms associated with COVID-19, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.
Their findings were recently published in the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA Network Open.
Previously, there had been plenty of speculation that vitamins and supplements such as zinc and vitamin C might offer benefits to people hoping to avoid or treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Zinc is known to improve immune function and plays a role in the production of antibodies and white blood cells. It is also known to fight infections. Meanwhile, vitamin C is an antioxidant that reduces damage to cells and strengthens the immune system.
Nonetheless, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that among 214 adult patients confirmed to have COVID-19, taking 10 days of zinc gluconate (50 milligrams per day) or vitamin C (8,000 milligrams during each day) – or one combination of the two – made no significant difference in the time it took for their symptoms to resolve compared to patients receiving standard care.
In fact, for this reason, the study was stopped prematurely.
In an announcement, Dr Milind Desai, director of clinical operations at the Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and co-principal investigator of the study, said:
“As we watched the pandemic spread across the globe, infecting and killing millions of people, the medical community and consumers scrambled to try supplements that they believed could potentially prevent infection or alleviate the symptoms. symptoms of COVID-19, but research is catching up. While vitamin C and zinc have been shown to be ineffective as a treatment compared to conventional care, the study of other therapies continues.
The researchers also noted that the patients in the study were receiving outpatient care rather than being treated in a hospital, as people who contract COVID-19 but do not require hospitalization are more likely to turn to medical care. supplements.
Study participants also had an average age of around 45, and most (61.7%) were female.
While taking zinc and vitamin C can be a dead end, there is a supplement that several studies have shown can help you avoid a serious coronavirus infection, as we reported in “Can This Vitamin Help You?” help protect you from COVID-19? ”
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