Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 1107, Lebanon.
Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut 1102, Lebanon.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 16;18(22):12001. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182212001.
With the growing spread of COVID-19 worldwide, the appeal to alternative and nutritional therapies in conjunction with medical therapies has been heightened. This article aims to review studies assessing the roles of Chinese traditional medicine and nutrition in upper respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Various Chinese herbal protocols have been shown to fight respiratory infections, with several having been tested on the novel coronavirus. Additionally, promising findings have been reported when medical treatments were complemented with nutritional interventions. Supplementation with vitamins C and D, Zinc and Selenium are discussed, in addition to certain phytochemicals and food that also possess immunoregulatory and antiviral properties. Further clinical studies are needed to establish these alternative treatments as part of the management of emerging respiratory infections.
随着 COVID-19 在全球范围内的不断蔓延，人们对与医学治疗相结合的替代和营养疗法的需求也有所增加。本文旨在回顾评估中医药和营养在呼吸道感染（包括 COVID-19）中的作用的研究。各种中草药方案已被证明可对抗呼吸道感染，其中一些已在新型冠状病毒上进行了测试。此外，当医疗治疗辅以营养干预时，也有令人鼓舞的发现报告。本文讨论了补充维生素 C 和 D、锌和硒，以及某些具有免疫调节和抗病毒特性的植物化学物质和食物。还需要进一步的临床研究来确定这些替代疗法作为新兴呼吸道感染管理的一部分。
