Do Vitamins Help Prevent and Treat COVID-19?

Solely relying on vitamins to protect you from COVID-19 can be harmful. A review published in 2022 found that taking vitamins C and D and zinc supplements for COVID do not lessen the risk of dying from the infection.

That's not to say that vitamin supplements are bad or unnecessary. There's just a lack of clear findings in research to support whether they can help prevent or treat COVID. Read on to learn if vitamins can help with COVID and what to do to protect yourself instead.

Vitamins and COVID-19 Mortality Risk

Supplements will not protect you against dying from COVID. In the 2022 review, the researchers noted that no people who received supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin D, or zinc saw any mortality benefits. They were no less likely to die from COVID than those who did not receive supplementation.

The researchers found that vitamin D did show some benefits. The study linked vitamin D supplementation to a lower intubation rate and a shortened hospital stay among people with severe COVID. The study authors noted that more evidence is needed to support those findings.

Can Vitamins Help Prevent or Treat COVID-19?

Although supplements do not reduce the risk of dying from COVID, vitamins C and D and zinc are essential nutrients that help support your immune system. This highly complex system defends your body from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. A deficiency in any of these vitamins may negatively impact your body's ability to fight off an infection like COVID.

You might be less likely to contract COVID and have severe symptoms if you get enough vitamin D. Research has found that people with a vitamin D deficiency are likelier to have severe illness or death from COVID. A review published in 2023 found that vitamin D supplementation can help prevent admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to COVID.

Of note: How supplementation impacts COVID outcomes is not entirely clear. More research is needed to know if and when vitamin D supplementation can prevent and treat COVID.

Other research has shown that vitamin D supplements might not have many benefits. A study published in 2020 found that people who took low doses of vitamin D supplements were as likely to contract COVID and develop severe symptoms as those who did not.

What Should You Do?

Vitamin supplements are not a reliable or evidence-based way to protect yourself from getting COVID or dying from it. It's valuable to continually check the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) for new research. Recommendations may be updated as researchers uncover new findings.

Instead of taking vitamins C and D and zinc supplements, here are other ways that you can prevent COVID:

• Cover your mouth and nose: Use the crook of your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Do not share personal items: This includes bedding, cups, towels, and utensils.
• Do not touch your face: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, can enter through your eyes, nose, and mouth. Always wash your hands before you touch your face.
• Get vaccinated: COVID vaccines and boosters help protect you from getting and spreading the infection. You are less likely to develop severe symptoms if you are vaccinated and get COVID.
• Keep your home well-ventilated: Open the windows to keep the air inside your home circulating. This, however, does not work without taking other precautions like social distancing, wearing masks, and hand-washing.
• Take a COVID test: You can take a rapid antigen test at home if you have symptoms to see if you have COVID infection. Make sure you follow the CDC guidelines for isolation if you test positive, which helps minimize the spread.
• Wash your hands regularly: Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. A hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help get rid of SARS-CoV-2 if soap and water are unavailable.
• Wear a high-quality mask in indoor public areas: This is especially helpful if you have a weak immune system or live in an area with high hospital admission rates, even if you are vaccinated.

Supplementing with vitamin D can strengthen your bone, muscle, heart, and immune health if you are deficient. Just remember to talk to a healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting any supplements. The Food and Drug Administration minimally regulates supplements, the effects of which can vary from person to person.

A Quick Review

Vitamin supplements can help support your immune system if you are deficient in certain nutrients, but they will not reliably protect you from or treat COVID. Instead, experts advise getting enough vitamins by eating a balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods.

Vitamin D supplements may be able to prevent severe disease, but more research is needed. Instead, some of the most reliable ways to protect yourself from COVID are to get vaccinated, keep your distance from people who are sick, and wear a mask in indoor public areas.

The information in this story is accurate as of publication. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.