Potential Efficacy of Nutrient Supplements for Treatment or Prevention of COVID-19 (original) (raw)

Multidisciplinary therapeutic potentials of dietary nutrients in combating COVID-19 pandemic

International journal of applied chemical and biological sciences, 2021

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread from a regular seafood market in Wuhan, China to more than 200 countries, globally infecting millions of people with a dangerous pneumonia like fatal conditions. Depending upon the immunity of individual, the severity of infection and its viral load, symptoms varied from mild to severe leading to Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Thus, in order to combat the symptoms and reduce the death rate it was accepted globally to use pre-used anti-viral, anti-malaria, antiinflammatory and various immune-boosters drugs. The drugs are undergoing clinical trials to increase its safety efficiency simultaneously suppressing viral infection. Along with drugs, the micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D and Zinc are also used as immune-boosters in combination with drugs to increase the efficiency rate and reduce the side effects. Following review, describes the clinical trials currently undergoing and importance of micro-and macro nutrients to overcome hyper-inflammation and cytokine storm generated by SARS-CoV-2.

Role of vitamins and minerals as immunity boosters in COVID-19

Inflammopharmacology

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) known as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. On March 11, 2020, it was declared a global pandemic. As the world grapples with COVID-19 and the paucity of clinically meaningful therapies, attention has been shifted to modalities that may aid in immune system strengthening. Taking into consideration that the COVID-19 infection strongly affects the immune system via multiple inflammatory responses, pharmaceutical companies are working to develop targeted drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19. A balanced nutritional diet may play an essential role in maintaining general wellbeing by controlling chronic infectious diseases. A balanced diet including vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K, and some micronutrients such as zinc, sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, and phosphorus may be beneficial in various infectious diseases. This study aimed to discuss and present recent data regarding the role of vitamins and minerals in the treatment of COVID-19. A deficiency of these vitamins and minerals in the plasma concentration may lead to a reduction in the good performance of the immune system, which is one of the constituents that lead to a poor immune state. This is a narrative review concerning the features of the COVID-19 and data related to the usage of vitamins and minerals as preventive measures to decrease the morbidity and mortality rate in patients with COVID-19.

An Overview of Vitamins and Minerals in the Prevention of COVID-19 Infection

Gazi Medical Journal, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic originated from infection of SARS-CoV-2, is an important international public health concern, threatening to human life. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 can be asymptomatic or can progress to severe disease with crucial respiratory symptoms and important pulmonary changes. The pathological mechanisms underlying of COVID-19 are still unknown, and to date, suitable vaccines or antivirals have not been found for effective treatment for COVID-19. Therefore, reduction of the incidence or severity of infection are of vital importance, and alternative approaches should be explored like nutritional strategies for supporting immune functions. Nutrients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may be preventive or attenuant the inflammatory outcomes related to COVID-19. In this review, an overview of some vitamins and minerals is presented in the prevention and management of COVID-19 infection. In particular, we focused on the potential role of micronutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc and selenium in all therapeutics, including prevention strategies and mitigation interventions for COVID-19.

Roles of Vitamins in Immunity and COVID-19: A Literature Review

Media Gizi Indonesia

SARS-CoV-2 is a severe acute respiratory virus that causes Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, diet was undeniably important in immunity. In order to be more resilient during and after the pandemic, understanding the role of vitamins is crucial. This review aims to explore the role of vitamins in supporting the immune system and its correlation to COVID-19. The article search was done using five electronic databases (i.e., Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and PMC). Some of the keywords utilized in the literature search were “vitamin A and immunity” OR “vitamin B and immunity” OR “vitamin C and immunity” OR “vitamin D and immunity” OR “vitamin E and immunity”. A total of 51 articles was assessed in this literature review. Research finds vitamin A plays a role in both innate immune system cell function and humoral immunity by regulating, differentiating, and maturing immune system cells. Vitamin B complex primarily reduces infl...

The Role of Micronutrients to Support Immunity for COVID-19 Prevention

Rev Bras Farmacogn., 2021

The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus, named as SARS-CoV-2, as a global pandemic in early 2020 after the disease spread to more than 180 countries leading to tens of thousands of cases and many deaths within a couple of months. Consequently, this paper aims to summarize the evidence for the relationships between nutrition and the boosting of the immune system in the fight against the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. This review, in particular, assesses the impact of vitamin and mineral supplements on the body's defence mechanisms against SARS-CoV-2. The results revealed that there is a strong relationship between the ingestion of biological ingredients like vitamins C-E, and minerals such as zinc, and a reduction in the effects of coronavirus infection. These can be received from either nutrition rich food sources or from vitamin supplements. Furthermore, these macromolecules might have roles to play in boosting the immune response, in the healing process and the recovery time. Hence, we recommend that eating healthy foods rich in vitamins C-E with zinc and flavonoids could boost the immune system and consequently protect the body from serious infections.

The effect of macronutrient and micronutrient supplements on COVID-19: an umbrella review

Journal of health, population and nutrition, 2024

Background and aims A healthy diet play an important role in the prevention and even treatment of various diseases. Proper nutrition plays an important role in boosting of immune system. These include the consumption of macronutrients such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and also micronutrients including vitamins. Here, we aimed to systematically review the effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. We searched the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science on December 23, 2023. The records were downloaded into an EndNote file, the duplicates were removed, and the studies underwent a twophase screening process based on their title/abstracts and full texts. The included articles were screened and underwent inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included the English systematic reviews and meta-analyses that concurred with the aim of our study. The selected articles were assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews for the quality check. The data of the eligible studies were extracted in a pre-designed word table and were used for the qualitative synthesis. Results A total of 28 reviews were included in this study. Most studies have shown that micronutrients are effective in morbidity and mortality controlling in viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 but some studies have shown that micronutrients are sometimes not effective in controlling severity. On the other hand, calcifediol was by far the most successful agent in reducing intensive care needs and mortality between studies. Individuals without malnutrition had a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease. The administration of Vitamin D is effective in reducing the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were more prone to experience severe infection, and they were at higher risk of morbidities and mortality. Other micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Zinc also showed some benefits in patients with COVID-19. Vitamin C showed no efficacy in COVID-19 management even in intravenous form or in high doses.

Could Vitamins Help in the Fight Against COVID-19?

Nutrients

There are limited proven therapeutic options for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The role of vitamin and mineral supplementation or “immunonutrition” has previously been explored in a number of clinical trials in intensive care settings, and there are several hypotheses to support their routine use. The aim of this narrative review was to investigate whether vitamin supplementation is beneficial in COVID-19. A systematic search strategy with a narrative literature summary was designed, using the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Trials Register, WHO International Clinical Trial Registry, and Nexis media databases. The immune-mediating, antioxidant and antimicrobial roles of vitamins A to E were explored and their potential role in the fight against COVID-19 was evaluated. The major topics extracted for narrative synthesis were physiological and immunological roles of each vitamin, their role in respiratory infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and COVID-19. Vitam...

COVID-19 Pandemic and Immune Boost Up: The Synergistic Role of Nutrients

Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal, 2021

World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public health emergency due to the recent spread of COVID-19 throughout the world. Millions of people are affected daily and thousands died. Almost all countries are now paying attention to control this pandemic outbreak. Therefore, researchers are trying to identify the pathophysiology of the disease, appropriate prognosis, effective management and prevention of COVID-19. Based on current published evidence, this review article specifies the role of different nutrients in the possible prevention and management of COVID-19 and viral infections. Balanced nutrition including adequate vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium, selenium, zinc and phytonutrients have shown promising immune-boosting roles in COVID-19 and other respiratory infections due to their potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidants properties. These micronutrients act against COVID-19 infections both individually and synergistically.

The Role of Diet and Supplements in the Prevention and Progression of COVID-19: Current Knowledge and Open Issues

Preventive Nutrition and Food Science

A healthy diet and dietary supplements have gained attention as potential co-adjuvants in managing and preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This paper critically reviews the current evidence regarding the impact of diet and supplements on the prevention and progression of COVID-19. According to available data, a healthy diet and normal weight are considered protective factors. Regarding dietary supplementation, the most robust results from human studies are for vitamin C, which appears to decrease inflammatory markers and suppress cytokine storm. A small, randomized trial showed that a high dose of vitamin D significantly reduced the need for intensive care unit treatment of patients requiring hospitalization for COVID-19. According to retrospective human studies, there is limited evidence for vitamin E and selenium supplements. Animal studies have investigated the effects of green tea and curcumin. Xanthohumol and probiotics, interesting for their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory properties, need formal clinical study. In summary, there is promising evidence supporting the role of diet and supplements as co-adjuvants in the treatment of COVID-19. Further studies and properly designed clinical trials are necessary to draw more robust conclusions; however, it is not unreasonable to take a pragmatic approach and promote the use of appropriate diet and supplements to counter the effects of COVID-19, ideally with a mechanism to assess outcomes.

The Role of Nutrients in Supporting The Immune System Against Viral Infection; Newly Emerged Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Narrative Review

Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research

Balanced nutrition is vital for peak performance of immune function, especially when a global pandemic is emerging, and there is major lack in approved treatments for it. Many nutrients and their abundance in cells induce immune function. We performed a narrative review to describe existing literature with regard to role of nutrients in supporting the immune system against viral infection including coronavirus (SARS-COV-2). PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant articles. This review represents a picture of the current state of the art. In particular, we classified the nutrients by means of their types, abundance, importance and possible antiviral effects in immune system. The macronutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are essential for cells to generate energy and participate in immune function as well. However, unbalanced diet with high levels of macromolecules could lead to chronic diseases that impair the body’s immune abilities. T...