Doctors Corner: Zinc Critical to Immune System

Study Finds Zinc Critical to Your Immune System

A version of this blog post was first published on Yahoo Life.

Zinc has been known to help our immune system and have anti inflammatory effects, but recent studies indicate that patients with COVID-19 may benefit from taking this supplement. Side effects of zinc are typically  minimal as well, therefore adding this to your daily routine is something to strongly consider. 

Researchers also found that high levels of zinc in the blood were tied to lower levels of pro-inflammatory proteins when patients were infected, WebMD reports. In a statement, the team responsible for the study concluded that lower zinc levels are linked with "poorer outcome."

"It has long been thought that zinc bolsters the immune system," Len Horovitz, MD, a pulmonologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told WebMD. "A possible explanation in this study is that zinc may have an anti-inflammatory effect that is protective."

Other studies have reached similar conclusions. A report published in July in the journal Frontiers in Immunology concluded that, when it comes to COVID-19, "zinc is a cost-efficient, globally available and simple to use [treatment] option with little to no side effects."