Many people are ready to do anything to protect themselves from an uncertain illness of COVID19. Recently many people have started taking vitamins and supplements to boost their immune system to fight off the virus. However, a team of experts thinks that it might be just wishful thinking. A new study has shown that certain standard vitamins will not be effective in reducing the symptoms of COVID19. The findings of the new study have been released in the journal called JAMA Network Open. Experts have said that taking vitamin C and zinc will not be helpful in reducing the symptoms of the disease. They have looked at 214 COVID19 patients, who have recovered from the disease. Some people have been given high doses of either zinc or vitamin C or both supplements randomly for 10 days. The rest of the participants have been received only standard care such as rest, hydration, and fever-reducing medicines. Experts have ended the study before the due date, as they have seen no significant change in the reduction of symptoms in those people who have been given one or two of the supplements as compared to those who have been on standard care. Experts from John Hopkins University have said that the study shows that vitamin C and zinc do not live up to their hype among people and health experts.
Experts have said that taking vitamin C and zinc has resulted in some unpleasant side effects among people who have been infected with the virus. People who have been given these supplements have been identified with a number of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. The study has noted that zinc can result in a metallic taste, dry mouth, and gastrointestinal intolerance when it is given in high doses. High amounts of vitamin C as well can lead to gastrointestinal issues. In this study, a large number of people who have been given high doses of vitamin C have been identified with nausea, diarrhea, and stomachache. Vitamin C and zinc have the potential to boost the immune system, this is the reason, and some of the experts have thought that treatments with these supplements might help fight the COVID19. As per the report, former US President Donald Trump as well has received treatment with zinc to reduce his post COVID19 symptoms. Experts have claimed that overall the effectiveness of these supplements to treat the symptoms of the disease is still uncertain. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has said that vitamin C supplements cannot reduce the risk of catching a common cold for most people. Although who take vitamin C supplements regularly might have mild symptoms when they catch a cold.
The NIH has said that studies on these supplements have been conflicting and these supplements might be helpful against the common cold under certain conditions. While vitamin C and zinc have not shown any significant benefits in improving health issues related to coronavirus, other vitamins are being studied, if they can be any sort of help. A study, which has been published in the journal of the German Chemical Society, has shown that vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin K might be beneficial in the severe cases of COVID19. Many past studies have noted that people who have been identified with lower levels of vitamin K are at a higher risk of being hospitalized with severe COVID19 disease. At the same time, vitamin D deficiency leads to higher chances of contracting the virus in the first place. Considering the findings of these studies, the White House COVID19 advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that people need to maintain adequate levels of the vitamin to avoid contracting the deadly virus.
