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Originally Posted: FEB 12, 21 11:02 ET
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
(CNN) – Can Vitamin C and Zinc Help You Fight COVID-19?
No, not even in high doses, according to the first randomized clinical trial to test the two supplements under medical supervision.
Despite the popular use of vitamin C and zinc to fight or reduce the severity of viral colds and the flu, the new study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, found that the two supplements were of no help. utility for people isolated at home with Covid-19. .
In fact, the results were so unimpressive that the study was stopped prematurely.
“Unfortunately, these 2 supplements did not live up to their hype,” wrote Dr. Erin Michos of John Hopkins and Dr. Miguel Cainzos-Achirica of the Houston Methodists, in an accompanying editorial.
The clinical trial gave high doses of each supplement alone and in combination to one of three groups of 214 adults who were recovering at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as rest, hydration, and fever medication, but no supplements.
“High-dose zinc (zinc) gluconate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or both supplements did not reduce symptoms of SARS-CoV-2,” says Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Milind Desai and a team from the Cleveland Clinic.
The high doses, however, caused unpleasant side effects for the patients taking the supplements.
“More side effects (nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplementation groups than in the usual care group,” wrote Michos, 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 are turning 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, other research has shown that vitamin C can reduce colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children.
However, using vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not appear to be helpful, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Zinc can help a cell fight infection, according to the study, “while zinc deficiency has been shown to increase pro-inflammatory cytokines and decrease antibody production.”
But what does this mean in real life? If taken within 24 hours of the very 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 per day can cause heartburn, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches. The recommended average daily amount of vitamin C is 75 milligrams for adult women and 90 milligrams for men.
More than 40 milligrams of zinc per 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, weaker 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 linked to over 100 cases of odor loss.
Research continues
Scientists continue to explore the use of vitamins and supplements in the treatment of COVID-19.
Randomized trials are currently underway to see if vitamin D supplements can help – in addition to promoting healthy bone growth, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties.
Researchers in the United States and China are using intravenous doses of vitamin C to determine if it could help people with respiratory failure severe enough to be put on a ventilator.
And more studies are underway to see if COVID-19 can be prevented with supplements such as 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 appears to be unnecessary.
CNN wire
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