Debunking Coronavirus Nutrition Myths

Of course, Covid-19 is a huge health concern at the moment, and many want to know what they can do to reduce their risk of suffering serious health consequences from it. Unfortunately, however, there has also been a lot of scaremongering and the fear that surrounds it has allowed many myths to develop regarding what you can do.

The main myth is that ‘taking Vitamin C supplements/ elderberry extract/zinc/copper/spirulina/garlic/(insert supplement or miracle cure here) will boost my immunity and reduce my risk of contracting the virus’.

First, vitamin C: Vitamin C supplements may help if your diet is deficient in vitamin C, as having enough vitamin C is important to keep your immune system healthy. However, it is likely that most people are getting enough already, without the help of supplements. You only need to eat one orange to meet your daily target for vitamin C, or alternatively 1 cup of kale. A standard portion of broccoli, around 2 spears, is half of your target - and if you’re like me, you probably eat more than 2 spears in one serving… So if you are eating at least some fruit and vegetables, you are probably hitting your daily target already. Any surplus vitamin C is excreted in urine - so by taking vitamin C supplements when you don’t need them, you’re pretty much just making expensive wee! There is no evidence that high doses of vitamin C is protective against coronavirus.

Vitamin C supplements, and to be honest most supplements or miracle cures marketed at this time, claim to ‘boost’ the immune system; yet your immune system does not need ‘boosting’ unless it is compromised for some reason, such as when recovering from an organ transplant or undergoing chemotherapy. If a healthy immune system was to be ‘boosted’ it would send it into overdrive, which leads to inflammation and your immune system attacking things it shouldn’t - like your own body. This is what happens with autoimmune diseases, and allergies - your immune system overreacts to something and you feel unwell. Now ‘boosting’ your immune system doesn’t sound so great!

The only supplement that I would recommend to everyone is vitamin D. It is recommended in the UK that everyone take a Vitamin D supplement during winter, as our main source is sunlight and we don’t get much of that in the cold months. This is also relevant advice throughout summer if you do not get outside in the sun much; a vitamin D supplement of 10ug or around 400IU per day is advised. Do not take more than 100ug or 4000IU as this may be harmful.

Otherwise, just focus on keeping your diet healthy all-round. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day - although 10 portions is better! - as well as lots of wholegrains, quality protein sources and healthy fats. There really are no other secrets regarding your diet! Keep social distancing and washing your hands, and don’t waste your money on miracle cures and supplements.