Kyungnam University Professor Park Eun-joo’s research team analyzed 54 existing research papers
“It is important to take four vitamins during the epidemic of respiratory diseases”
[대한급식신문=김나운 기자] In order to prevent respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, the flu, and colds, a review paper has been published in Korea that says it is important to consume enough vitamins, including vitamins D, E, and C, and folic acid (a type of vitamin B group). . In particular, there have been many research papers that vitamin D helps prevent and treat respiratory diseases.
Professor Park Eun-ju of the Department of Food and Nutrition at Kyungnam University analyzed papers studying the relationship between seven vitamins, including vitamin C, and respiratory viruses at home and abroad, and found that four vitamins, including vitamins D, E, and C, and folic acid, are beneficial in preventing respiratory diseases. The results of this study were published in the latest issue of ‘Clinical Nutrition Research’, an English journal published by the Korean Society of Clinical Nutrition.
Professor Park’s team collected and analyzed 54 research papers on the relationship between respiratory viruses and various vitamins from international academic paper search sites between January 2000 and June 2021.
In 24 papers examining the relationship between COVID-19 and various vitamins (18 for vitamin D, 4 for vitamin C, and 2 for folic acid), the vitamin was found to be effective in preventing COVID-19. Eight papers (3 for vitamin D, 1 for vitamin E, 3 for vitamin C, and 1 for folic acid) that tracked the relationship between cold and flu and vitamins concluded that the vitamin helps prevent colds and flu.
According to the results of major research papers, people with vitamin D deficiency were five times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than those without vitamin D deficiency. For every 1% increase in vitamin D deficiency, the risk of dying from COVID-19 per 1 million cases increased by 55. A research paper was also included that showed that COVID-19 patients with low blood vitamin D levels had a longer hospitalization period.
There have been no studies on the effect of vitamin E on COVID-19. However, there were more respiratory infections in the vitamin E intake group than in the vitamin E intake group.
The conclusion of 4 out of 6 papers that found a correlation between vitamin C and COVID-19 is that vitamin C reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection. The concentration of vitamin C in the blood of patients infected with COVID-19 was 1/5 that of non-infected patients. Two papers that tracked the relationship between folic acid and COVID-19 found that folic acid had a preventive effect on COVID-19. There was also a paper that folic acid helps prevent pneumonia and colds.
Professor Park’s team emphasized in the thesis, “The conclusion of this study is that maintaining normal blood levels of vitamins D, E, C and folic acid is beneficial for preventing COVID-19, colds and flu.”
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