Multivitamins, Omega-3, Probiotics May Cut Risk of Covid-19: Study
According to a large observational study, taking multivitamins, omega-3, probiotics or vitamin D supplements may lower the risk of Covid-19 infection, at least among women. Published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, the research found that taking vitamin C, zinc, or garlic supplements was not related to a reduced risk of testing positive for Covid-19, as per the findings.
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The researchers, including those from King’s College, London, UK, drew on adult users of the ‘COVID-19 Symptom Study’ application to see if regular supplement users were less likely to test positive for coronavirus. It must be noted that the application was launched in the UK, the US, and Sweden in March 2020 so as to capture self-reported information on the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The information regarding the regular use of dietary supplements throughout May, June, and July 2020 during the first Covid-19 pandemic wave along with the coronavirus swab test results, supplied by 372,720 UK subscribers to the ‘COVID-19 Symptom Study’ application was used for research purposes. While 175,652 UK subscribers regularly took dietary supplements between May and July, 197,068 did not. About 67% were women and over half were overweight. Overall, 23,521 people tested positive for novel coronavirus disease and 349,199 tested negative between the period of May and July.
The study found that taking probiotics, omega fatty acids, multivitamins or vitamin D was linked to a lower risk of Covid-19 infection by 14%, 12%, 13% and 9%, respectively.
Irrespective of differences, the same overall patterns were found in US and Swedish subscribers. According to the researchers, this is an observational study that relies on self-reported data and a self-selected group of people. Experts believe that the study cannot establish a cause and large clinical trials can be conducted to inform evidence-based therapeutic recommendations.
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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
