NutraVideo: Zinc, vitamin D are key in COVID fight

26-Oct-2020 - Last updated on 28-Sep-2021 at 14:20 GMT

The dietary supplement market has been flooded with new products, with an unprecedented demand in immune health. A recent Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)-IPSOS survey found that vitamin D usage jumped 37% and zinc grew 17% amid the pandemic.

Best selling author and board certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, said these two nutrients are key in the battle against COVID-19.

Among people hospitalized with COVID-19, low zinc levels were associated with a 2.3-fold increased risk of death compared to those with optimal plasma zinc levels, according to Dr. Teitelbaum. Additionally, he pointed to numerous studies that have shown that low vitamin D levels are also associated with much worse outcomes.

“Study after study after study have shown that zinc along with vitamin D is the most critical nutrient when it comes to this virus. Zinc is poison to the virus. It’s birth control, it’s like a spay and neuter for the COVID virus,” explained Teitelbaum.

“Not surprisingly, given this research, optimized zinc and vitamin D levels are associated with a far greater protective benefit than any of the medications currently being studied for COVID-19.These two nutrients alone could probably decrease the COVID death rate by 70%.”

“As the cost and risk of this simple nutritional support is negligible and the potential benefit is so high, I recommend that everyone I treat take 50 mg of zinc daily for one month to optimize zinc status.” Teitelbaum also recommends vitamin D, copper, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B1, while emphasizing ‘optimal levels.’

“More is not better, you want optimal levels,” said Teitelbaum.

To hear the more on Dr. Teitelbaum’s nutritional support recommendations during COVID-19, watch the full interview.