High-Dose Vitamin C Supplementation as a Legitimate Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Prophylaxis in Healthy Subjects—Yes or No?

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 5; p. 979
• Main Author: Gruber-Bzura, Beata M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Ascorbic Acid; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 infection; Dietary Supplements; disease prevention; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; immune system; immunomodulators; pandemic; people; Review; SARS-CoV-2; Viral infections; Vitamin C; vitamin deficiencies; SARS-CoV-2; vitamin C; prophylaxis; immune function
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14050979

Vitamin C has a number of acitvities that could contribute to its immune-modulating effects. The only question is whether we should provide ourselves with only the right level of it, or do we need much more during a pandemic? The possibility of reducing the incidence of viral diseases in a well-nourished population through the use of dietary supplements based on vitamin C is not supported in the literature. Despite this, the belief that an extra intake of vitamin C can increase the efficacy of the immune system is still popular and vitamin C is advertised as a remedy to prevent infectious disease. This article refers to the justification of the use of vitamin C in high doses as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 prophylaxis in healthy subjects. Does it make sense or not? As it turns out, any effects of vitamin C supplementation may be more prominent when the baseline vitamin C level is low, for example in physically active persons. People with hypovitaminosis C are more likely to respond to vitamin C administration. No studies regarding prevention of COVID-19 with high-dose vitamin C supplementation in healthy subjects were found.