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Review
. 2022 Feb 26;14(5):1000.
doi: 10.3390/nu14051000.

The Role of Nutrients in Prevention, Treatment and Post-Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

Maria Letizia Motti  1 , Domenico Tafuri  1 , Lorenzo Donini  1 , Maria Teresa Masucci  2 , Valentina De Falco  3 , Filomena Mazzeo  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Nutrients in Prevention, Treatment and Post-Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)

Maria Letizia Motti et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 virus, infecting human cells via its spike protein, causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is characterized by shortness of breath, fever, and pneumonia and is sometimes fatal. Unfortunately, to date, there is still no definite therapy to treat COVID-19. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved only supportive care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to maintain a correct intake of nutrients to support very weakened patients in overcoming disease arose. The literature available on nutrient intake for COVID-19 is mainly focused on prevention. However, the safe intake of micro- and/or macro-nutrients can be useful either for preventing infection and supporting the immune response during COVID-19, as well as in the post-acute phase, i.e., "long COVID", that is sometimes characterized by the onset of various long lasting and disabling symptoms. The aim of this review is to focus on the role of nutrient intake during all the different phases of the disease, including prevention, the acute phase, and finally long COVID.

Keywords: ARDS; COVID-19; Long-COVID; SARS-CoV-2; immune system; inflammation; nutritional supplement; pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. In more aggressive cases of COVID-19, the virus can enter the bloodstream inducing an imbalance in the immune system, causing a cytokine storm. This can lead to tissue damage, ARDS and multi-organ dysfunction.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Functions of nutrients in prevention, treatment and post-COVID 19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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