Can Zinc And Vitamin C Be Taken Together
There are so many people out there who are taking multiple vitamins and minerals together without knowing their pros and cons. They consider supplementation as a task and so, in order to get rid of it, they take everything together. This is not a good thing. Public Health Expert and Dietitian Swati Bathwal explain that the composition and solubility of a nutrient should be taken into consideration when making combinations. Unless a nutrient isnt optimally absorbed, it wont provide any benefit to your body. Besides, the time of the day these are taken also affects absorption in some cases.
Absorption is the key factor for any supplement. Mixing two supplements may reduce the absorption that only goes waste. In addition to this, such combinations can cause adverse interactions that can harm your health.
Also Read: Zinc Deficiency Can Be Life-Threatening For COVID-19 Patients
Immunomodulatory Role Of Omega
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids and include eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids, and are well known to have favorable effects on immunity and inflammation. Of interest, omega-3 fatty acids exert anti-viral effects by inhibiting influenza virus replication. According to the European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition expert statement, the use of omega-3 fatty acids may improve oxygenation in COVID-19 patients, although firm evidence is still missing . Others however have suggested caution in the use of the omega-3 s in COVID-19 patients, citing evidence showing a counter-intuitive increase in oxidative stress and inflammation due to increased susceptibility of cellular membranes to damage . Until there is validated trial data, supplementation, particularly in high doses, must be performed with care in this population.
Why Trust Verywell Health
A personal note on my recommendations written above. As a dietitian, I am careful to recommend supplements, including zinc. I spent time reviewing the most current recommendations on zinc supplementation, and I looked at multiple brands and products. I believe the supplements in the round-up are made by trusted brands that are devoted to product purity and are composed of high-quality ingredients.Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN
Leah Groth, a freelance Health writer, also contributed to this article.
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Immunomodulatory Role Of Other Nutrients
The anti-oxidant Vitamin E, and trace element selenium, are major components of anti-oxidant defense. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that deficiencies in either of these nutrients alters immune responses and viral pathogenicity. It has been noted, that there is a correlation between geographic selenium levels and COVID-19 cure rates in different Chinese provinces . Vitamin E and selenium both act through anti-oxidant pathways to increase the number of T cells, enhance mitogenic lymphocyte responses, increase IL-2 cytokine secretion, enhances NK cell activity, and, decreases the risk of infection . Selenium and vitamin E supplementation has also been shown to increase resistance to respiratory infections . It is worthy to note that mixed tocopherols are more effective than α-tocopherol alone, due to the range of receptors for these nutrients .Despite these beneficial roles in immunity, there is limited information on the effects of vitamin E or selenium supplementation in humans with COVID-19 infection, though patients are encouraged to have adequate intakes of these antioxidant nutrients.
Top 10 Foods Highest In Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the maintenance of skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage, and wound healing.
Vitamin C also helps protect cells against oxidative stress, which in turn provides protection against certain diseases, including cancer.
Vitamin C, like zinc and vitamin A, also helps support your immune system.
High vitamin C foods include guavas, bell peppers, kiwifruit, strawberries, oranges, papayas, broccoli, tomatoes, kale, and snow peas. The current daily value for vitamin C is 90mg.
Below is a list high vitamin C foods ranked by a common serving size, use the nutrient ranking of over 200 foods high in vitamin C to see the foods highest in vitamin C by nutrient density , or see rankings of fruits high in vitamin C, and vegetables high in vitamin C.
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The 10 Best Foods That Are High In Zinc
Zinc is a mineral thats essential for good health.
Its required for the functions of over 300 enzymes and involved in many important processes in your body .
It metabolizes nutrients, maintains your immune system and grows and repairs body tissues.
Your body doesnt store zinc, so you need to eat enough every day to ensure youre meeting your daily requirements .
Its recommended that men eat 11 mg of zinc per day, while women need 8 mg. However, if youre pregnant, youll need 11 mg per day, and if youre breastfeeding, youll need 12 mg.
Some people are at risk of a zinc deficiency, including young children, teenagers, the elderly and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (
However, eating a healthy balanced diet that includes zinc-rich foods should satisfy everyones needs.
Here are 10 of the best foods that are high zinc.
This Is How Zinc Can Help You During A Cold
Zinc is effective in fighting colds because it prevents the adherence of cold viruses to the host’s cells in the nasal mucosa it simply drives them out due to the fact that it occupies their docking location. Additionally, it inhibits the growth and stops the reproduction of these germs. Finally, zinc helps to alleviate the possible inflammation reactions caused by a cold because it prevents the release of histamine and stops the prostaglandin metabolism. Thus, the nasal mucosa does not swell as much, allowing the person to breathe easier. Owing to these findings, zinc should be taken in the form of a lozenge or gurgled as solution from an effervescent tablet before being swallowed. Although many complain of the taste, this is the only way that zinc can have a direct effect on the mucous membranes, fighting the viruses where they are instead of having to take the detour through the digestive tract.
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/7the Right Way To Take Zinc
To ensure maximum absorption of zinc from diet add different varieties of food like meat, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate and others. Our body readily absorbs the nutrient from animal sources of foods as compared to plant sources. Also, take zinc in a smaller dose to absorb it more efficiently. Pairing zinc-rich food with protein also increases the chances of absorption.
What Are The Side Effects Of Vitamin C Plus Zinc
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficulty breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Minerals can cause side effects such as tooth staining, increased urination, stomach bleeding, uneven heart rate, confusion, and muscle weakness or limp feeling.
When taken as directed, multivitamins and minerals are not expected to cause serious side effects. Common side effects may include:
- upset stomach
- headache or
- unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Learn About Your Vitamins And Minerals: Vitamin C And Zinc
Inspired by the Sight and Life publication Vitamins and Minerals: A Brief Guide, we continue with our Learn About Your Vitamins and Minerals series by discussing vitamin C and zinc.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in many physiological processes. As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects cells of the body from damaging effects of free radicals and helps build healthy immune systems. Vitamin C stimulates the activity of white blood cells which support our defenses against infections, such as a common cold. Vitamin C also plays a role in improving the absorption of non-heme iron in the gut, and regulating cellular iron uptake and metabolism.
Many animals synthesize their own vitamin C, however, humans cannot do that because we lack the enzyme gluconolactone oxidase which is involved in vitamin C synthesis. Therefore we need vitamin C in our diets. The primary natural plant sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits , tomatoes, and green leafy vegetables . Other sources include dairy products, kidney and the liver of those animals who are able to produce their own vitamin C.
Deficiency can be prevented by adequate consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, or through supplements.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency can be prevented by adequate consumption of foods rich in zinc. Fortifying staple foods and processed foods with zinc, as well as taking supplements also helps to prevent deficiency.
Intravenous Vitamin C Alone In Patients With Covid
A pilot clinical trial in China randomized 56 adults with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit to receive intravenous vitamin C 24 g per day or placebo for 7 days. The study was terminated early due to a reduction in the number of cases of COVID-19 in China. Overall, the study found no differences between the arms in mortality, the duration of mechanical ventilation, or the change in median sequential organ failure assessment scores. The study reported improvements in oxygenation from baseline to Day 7 in the treatment arm that were statistically greater than those observed in the placebo arm .4
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What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Vitamin C Plus Zinc
Multivitamins and minerals can cause serious or life-threatening side effects if taken in large doses. Do not take more of this medicine than directed on the label or prescribed by your doctor.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use multivitamins and minerals if you have other medical conditions or allergies.
Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Your dose needs may be different during pregnancy. Some vitamins and minerals can be harmful if taken in large doses. You may need to use a specially formulated prenatal vitamin.
No Other Significant Benefits
The researchers also looked at hospitalization rate, mortality, and adverse effects from receiving one of the treatments or standard of care. No arm of the experiment had significantly different outcomes, but the researchers note that those who received ascorbic acid reported slightly more nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
Overall, 17 outpatients had to be hospitalized before their individual 28-day assessment was complete, and 3 died from causes unrelated to the interventions. One person experienced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, but this, too, was unrelated.
“Most consumers of ascorbic acid and zinc are taking significantly lower doses of these supplements, so demonstrating that even high-dose ascorbic acid and zinc had no benefit suggests clear lack of efficacy,” the researchers write.
They add, “Recent studies have also demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and an increased risk of hospitalization, so the potential role of other supplements in decreasing SARS-CoV-2 symptoms cannot be concluded from our study.”
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Supplements Can Also Help
When you’re sick, you may lose your appetite, which makes it harder to get the nutrition you need to recover. In that case, supplements can be a potent source of vitamins and minerals, Pescatore says.
“A normal healthy diet should include enough of these vitamins and minerals, but if needed, you can also supplement these vitamins to ensure you are getting the correct levels,” explains Pescatore. “One of the tried-and-true nutrients to ensure a speedy recovery from the common cold is vitamin C.”
Plus, small studies have suggested that common cold supplements of elderberry, ginseng, and garlic may lessen the severity of symptoms and decrease the duration of your sickness.
Vitamin C Helps To Lower The Chances Of Catching A Cold
A balanced vitamin C level contributes to the healthy function of the immune system. Once the cold viruses have reached our mucous membranes, vitamin C becomes active in various places. It induces the formation of white blood cells, adheres to free radicals, neutralizing them and regenerating more of the body’s own antioxidants. In this way, it keeps our immune system going and reduces oxidative stress. When a cold starts, the vitamin C level occasionally falls drastically owing to the increased expenditure. If this happens, it is advisable to take high doses of vitamin C quickly to support our bodys defense system that it is not brought down to its knees.
As little as two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice a day help us to have a healthy immune system. This was shown by some studies, in which a balanced vitamin C level could shorten the duration of a cold somewhat and alleviated symptoms. If you notice the first signs of a cold, it is therefore a good idea to fill up the vitamin C reservoir immediately and not to give up until you have hopefully recovered quickly from the cold.
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Intravenous Vitamin C Plus Thiamine With Or Without Hydrocortisone In Critically Ill Patients Without Covid
Two small studies that used historic controls reported favorable clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis or severe pneumonia who received a combination of vitamin C, thiamine, and hydrocortisone.8,9 Subsequently, several randomized trials in which patients received vitamin C and thiamine to treat sepsis and septic shock showed that this combination conferred benefits for certain clinical parameters. However, no survival benefit was reported. Two trials observed reductions in organ dysfunction 10,11 or the duration of shock12 without an effect on clinical outcomes. Three other trials, including a large trial of 501 sepsis patients, found no differences in any physiologic or outcome measures between the treatment and placebo groups.13-15
See ClinicalTrials.gov for a list of clinical trials that are evaluating the use of vitamin C in patients with COVID-19.
No Significant Effect On Reducing Symptoms
The primary outcome was to see if the supplements decreased the time it took for 50% symptom reduction. The average time it took for those receiving zinc was 5.9 days. Those receiving ascorbic acid reported an average of 5.5 days), and those who received both reported an average time of 5.5 .
Symptoms were not halved until 6.7 days in the group that received only standard of care, but the researchers found no statistical significance in any of these differences.
The outpatients measured their symptoms on a four-point severity scale, the values of which were then added for the total symptom grade. Participants enrolled before Jul 16, 2020, only rated fever/chills, shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue. But, because of updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, those enrolled after Jul 16 rated 12 symptoms that also included headache, loss of taste, and runny nose/congestion. Those who were asymptomatic at the start of enrollment were classified as “missing” when calculating the time before 50% symptom reduction.
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The Natural Sources Of Zinc Are Legumes Like Chickpeas Lentils And Beans Along With Seeds Nuts And Whole Grains Citrus Fruits Like Orange Kiwi Lemon Guava And Grapefruit Are High In Vitamin C
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The Coronavirus outbreak has seen a huge spike in people buying vitamin supplements, with Vitamin C and Zinc emerging two of the top supplements in demand.
Typically, in any viral infection, the body’s defence mechanism is to produce white blood cells to fight against the infection.
Zinc and Vitamin C reduces the level of chemicals called cytokines that are harmful to the body and are produced in the body during infections. Zinc helps increase the production of these infection-fighting WBCs and T cells.
Vitamin C, while providing overall immunity, is the most effective against respiratory based illnesses. Lack of Vitamin C is also the most common nutritional deficiency.
“It has been seen that older people are more at risk from the Coronavirus. Ensuring adequate intake of vitamin C via supplements, especially among elderly or individuals with risk factors owing to insufficient vitamin C, is important for the immune system to function properly and resist infections. With age, the body loses its strength to fight viruses, and when combined with existing medical conditions, it places elderly people at risk. But immunity is important at all ages and it can be increased at any stage by keeping oneself fit,” says Dr Karthik Anantharaman, Director e-pharmacy, Medlife.
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How To Take Vitamin C Plus Zinc
Use Vitamin C Plus Zinc exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor.
Never take more than the recommended dose of multivitamins and minerals.
Read the label of any vitamin and mineral product you take to make sure you are aware of what it contains.
Take this medicine with a full glass of water. Avoid milk or other dairy products.
You must chew the chewable tablet before you swallow it.
Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .
Dissolve the effervescent tablet in at least 4 ounces of water. Stir and drink this mixture right away.
Swallow a capsule or tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.
Use multivitamins and minerals regularly to get the most benefit.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the liquid medicine from freezing.
Store this medicine in its original container. Storing multivitamins in a glass container can ruin the medication.
Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.
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