Vitamin C and zinc don’t reduce symptoms of Covid-19, study finds

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No, not even at 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 combat or reduce the severity of viral colds and flu, the new study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, found that the two supplements were of no use to people who isolated at home with COVID-19. .

In fact, the findings were so impressive that the study was halted prematurely.

“Unfortunately, these two supplements fell short of their hype,” wrote Dr. Erin Michos from John Hopkins and Dr. Miguel Cainzos-Achirica of Houston Methodist in an accompanying editorial.
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The clinical trial gave high doses of each supplement alone and in combination to one of three groups of 214 adults who recovered at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as rest, hydration, and fever-reducing medications, but no supplements.

“High doses of zinc gluconate (zinc), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), or both supplements did not reduce SARS-CoV-2 symptoms,” said Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Dr. Milind Desai and a Cleveland Clinic team.

However, the high doses caused some unpleasant side effects for patients taking the supplements.

“More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplement groups than in the usual care group,” wrote Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Cainzos-Achirica, an 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 flu.

Vitamin C is a recognized antioxidant and plays an essential role in supporting the immune system. Even though it has not been shown to prevent disease, others research has found vitamin C can shorten colds in adults by 8% and in children by 14%.

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However, according to the National Institutes of Health, taking vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not appear to be helpful.

Zinc may help a cell’s ability to fight infection, the study said, “while there is some evidence that zinc deficiency increases pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreases antibody production.”

But what does that mean in real life? If zinc is taken within 24 hours of the very first signs of a cold, it can reduce the duration of a cold by just one day, according to a review of 13 studies found.
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 average daily recommended allowance 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, and it can have an unpleasant metallic taste.

Long-term users may have “low levels of copper, lower immunity, and low levels of HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ cholesterol),” according to the NIH. In 2009, the FDA warned the public against using zinc nasal sprays as they were linked to more than 100 cases of odor loss.

Research continues

Scientists continue to investigate 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 supporting healthy bone growth, vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Researchers in the US and China are using intravenous doses of vitamin C to determine if it can help people with respiratory failure severe enough to be on a ventilator.

And more studies are underway to see if Covid-19 can be prevented by supplements such as vitamins C and D and zinc.

However, based on this study, using vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of Covid-19 appears to be pointless.

CNN’s Maggie Fox contributed to this story.

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