Vitamin C and zinc do not decrease Covid-19 symptoms, according to study

Vitamin C and zinc do not decrease Covid-19 symptoms, according to study

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No, not even in high doses, according to the first randomized clinical trial to test both supplements under medical supervision.

Despite popular use of vitamin C and zinc to combat or lessen the severity of colds and flu, the new study, published on Friday in the JAMA Network Open, found that the two supplements were of no benefit to people who were isolated at home with Covid-19.

In fact, the findings were so minor that the study was stopped early.

“Unfortunately, these 2 supplements failed to match your advertising,” wrote Dr. Erin Michos of 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 were recovering at home. A fourth group received standard care, such as rest, hydration and medication to reduce fever, but did not receive supplements.

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

The high doses, however, did cause some unpleasant side effects for patients taking the supplements.

“More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps) have been reported in the supplement groups than in the usual treatment group,” wrote Michos, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Cainzos-Achirica, assistant professor Houston Methodist preventive cardiology.

Popular Supplements

Many Americans turn to vitamin C and zinc supplements to fight 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, other research found vitamin C can reduce colds by 8% in adults and 14% in children.

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Using vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms, however, does not appear to be useful, according to the National Institutes of Health.

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

But what does this mean in real life? If taken within 24 hours after the first signs of a cold, zinc can reduce the duration of a cold by just one day, a review of 13 studies revealed.
There is also a downside. Taking more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily 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 a 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 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 using zinc nasal sprays because they were related to more than 100 cases of loss of smell.

The research continues

Scientists continue to explore the use of vitamins and supplements in the treatment of Covid-19.

Randomized studies are 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 U.S. and China are using intravenous doses of vitamin C to determine whether it can help people with respiratory insufficiency severe enough to be placed on 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, however, the use of vitamin C and zinc to shorten the duration of Covid-19 appears to be useless.

CNN’s Maggie Fox contributed to this story.

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