Originally published: 12 FEB 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 combat or reduce the severity of viral colds and flu, the new study, published in the JAMA Network Open on Friday, found that the two supplements have no benefit for people at home with Covid-19 does not isolate. .
In fact, the findings were so unimpressive that the study was discontinued early.
“Unfortunately, these two supplements did not live up to their hype,” said Dr. Erin Michos of John Hopkins and dr. Miguel Cainzos-Achirica of Houston Methodist wrote 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 recovering at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as medication for rest, hydration and fever reduction, but no supplements.
“High doses of zinc gluconate (zinc), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), or both supplements did not reduce SARS-CoV-2 symptoms,” according to the Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, Dr. Milind Desai, and a team from Cleveland Clinic.
However, the high doses have caused unpleasant side effects in patients using the supplements.
“More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplement groups than in the regular care group,” wrote Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, and Cainzos-Achirica, an assistant. professor of preventative cardiology at Houston Methodist.
Popular supplements
Many Americans turn to vitamin C and zinc supplements to fight viral colds and flu.
Vitamin C is a recognized antioxidant and plays an important role in supporting the immune system. Although it has not been shown to prevent disease, other research has found that vitamin C can reduce colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children.
According to the National Institutes of Health, it seems that it is not helpful to use vitamin C after the cold starts.
Zinc can help a cell’s ability to fight infection, the study said: “There is evidence that zinc deficiency increases pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduces the production of antibodies.”
But what does it mean in real life? If taken within 24 hours after the first signs of a cold, zinc can reduce the cold by only one day, a review of 13 studies found.
There is also a downside. Taking more than 2000 mg of vitamin C per day can cause heartburn, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. The average daily recommended amount of vitamin C is 75 mg for adult women and 90 mg for men.
More than 40 mg of zinc every day can cause dry mouth, nausea, appetite and diarrhea, and it can have a nasty metallic taste.
Long-term users may have low copper levels, lower 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 spray because it is associated with 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 has anti-inflammatory properties.
Researchers in the US and China use intravenous doses of vitamin C to determine if it can help people with breathing problems that are severe enough to be placed in a ventilator.
And more studies are underway to see if COVID-19 can be prevented by supplements like vitamins C and D and zinc.
Based on this study, the use of vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of Covid-19 appears to be useless.
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