Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant and plays an important role as a co-factor and modulator of various pathways of the immune system. Its therapeutic effect during infections has been a matter of debate, with conflicting results in studies of respiratory infections and in critically ill patients. But can Vitamin C as a Covid-19 treatment help?
Vitamin C as a Covid-19 treatment
Although the theoretical basis on the important role of vitamin C in immune regulation during infections is profound, the therapeutic effect of vitamin C treatment in infections and critically ill patients is still controversial. The usefulness of vitamin C treatment in patients with COVID19 is still under investigation worldwide.
There are several reports of patients with COVID-19 who were treated with vitamin C in different scenarios and showed clinical improvement after administration. However, most publications are observational, many of them are case reports and small series of cases, making it impossible to association any beneficial effect specifically to vitamin C treatment.
These reports should be treated as clinical observations, as causality cannot be claimed between vitamin C administration and improved patient health status. However, some of the preliminary clinical trials showed encouraging results.
Currently, evidence supporting the therapeutic use of vitamin C in patients with severe COVID-19 is absent and no recommendation can be made based on this. Considering the pathophysiology and theoretical foundations, together with reports and studies, the role of vitamin C in the treatment of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been validated.
Clinical practice
Although some clinical observations have reported improvement in the medical condition of patients with COVID-19 treated with vitamin C, available data from controlled studies are scarce and inconclusive. Based on the theoretical basis, the role of vitamin C in the treatment of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection should be further investigated.
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Microbiota post-covid
Article: Vitamin C and Covid-19
– Milani GP, Macchi M, Guz-Mark A. Vitamin C in the Treatment of COVID-19. Nutrients
. 2021;13(4):1172. Published 2021 Apr 1. doi:10.3390/nu13041172
