With the ever-changing nature of all things COVID coupled with the deluge of misinformation, it's hard to track down the best way to take care of yourself while having the coronavirus.
One of the difficult things to analyze is whether it is safe to take vitamins while working with SARS-CoV-2. At one point, experts deemed it dangerous to take some supplements, such as vitamin D, if you had an infection, for fear they could damage your immune system. But evidence is quickly showing that the opposite is true: Vitamin D may actually help people recover more easily from upper respiratory infections like COVID.
What is the consensus now? Can you continue taking your vitamins while you have COVID, or is it better to delay supplementation for a few days until you feel better?
How vitamins interact with COVID infection
Vitamins can definitely affect your immune system, but whether or not you should continue taking vitamins when you're sick depends a lot on what you're taking in and what's infecting you. So says Dana Ellis Hannes , clinical nutritionist, assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and author of Recipe for Survival .
For example, iron supplements are known to complicate bacterial infections and cause inflammation in some patients, says Hannes. And several one-time case reports have shown that some herbal supplements, such as echinacea, can potentially cause a relapse in people previously diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when taking supplements to treat upper respiratory tract infections.
Some health experts say that during a pandemic, when battling an inflammatory infection like COVID, there's no need to boost your immune system. But according to Hannah Schroeder , an internist at Sonora University who specializes in naturopathic medicine, daily intake of vitamins in the right doses is unlikely to overstimulate the immune response.
"Although vitamins and supplements that boost the immune system may seem overly stimulating, in most cases they don't cause an immune system overreaction," says Schroeder.
At typical doses, your vitamins are unlikely to negatively affect your immune response, Hannes explains. In fact , supplements like omega-3s, probiotics, and even echinacea help many people improve immune function by fighting viruses and reducing inflammation. For example, vitamin D has been consistently associated with better COVID outcomes, according to Schroeder.
Research has shown that people with severe COVID or who are hospitalized with an infection tend to have lower levels of vitamin D in their blood. Research has also shown that people with vitamin D deficiency who take vitamin D supplements have milder effects and fewer hospital stays.
However, taking vitamin D or other supplements probably won't protect you from contracting the virus .
"Most of the evidence to date seems to indicate that vitamin D by itself is not a preventative or protective agent against COVID, but it may help reduce symptom severity," Schroeder said.
What to do with vitamins if you have COVID
Many clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the impact of dietary supplements on COVID. However, there is currently no strong evidence that continuing to take vitamins and multivitamins every day while you have the virus is too risky. As mentioned above, many vitamins, from omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics to zinc and melatonin, can aid recovery. Here's a helpful guide from the National Institutes of Health on supplements and COVID .
Keep in mind that some supplements can affect how your body breaks down or metabolizes certain medications. So if you're taking any COVID medications, whether it's Paxlovid, an antibiotic, or an over-the-counter drug like guaifenesin or acetaminophen, ask your doctor if there are any contraindications. One thing you need to know: St. John's Wort and Paxlovid should not be taken together.
You also don't want to add vitamins to your regimen unnecessarily when you're sick. You may want to consider adding zinc to your diet -- it's been shown to shorten the duration of symptoms -- but you should be careful about the dosage you take. Too high a dose can cause unpleasant side effects such as insomnia, heart palpitations, diarrhea and stomach cramps. In very large quantities it can cause poisoning.
"More isn't always better," says Hannes. You can read more about the ideal dosage of various vitamins here .
If you choose to go without vitamins for about a week, which is the length of a typical winter sickness, the risk is likely to be minimal.
For most people, especially if you're taking something simple like a daily multivitamin or skin-hair-nails vitamin, vitamin B12, vitamin C, temporarily stopping these vitamins won't do much harm. a few days or weeks when he's sick," Schroeder said.
If you're taking vitamins to treat a severe vitamin or mineral deficiency or an underlying malabsorption disorder such as short bowel syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease, Hannes and Schroeder recommend talking to your doctor before change the diet.
"These things need to be checked by a doctor on a case-by-case basis," says Schroeder. "What's safe and appropriate for you may not be safe and appropriate for someone else."
Experts are still studying COVID-19. The information in this story was known or available at the time of publication, but this advice could change as scientists learn more about the virus. Please check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most up-to-date recommendations.