A new article published in the Journal of Infection and Public Health discussed that the pandemic of novel coronavirus  has resulted in a high number of hospitalizations and deaths and has led to a devastating toll on human and society health. Symptoms of the infected patients vary significantly—from life-threatening to mild or even asymptomatic infection. This clinical observation has brought to light the critical role of host innate immunity in disease development and progression.

As the first defense barrier against microorganisms, the innate immune reaction determines the viral infection rate, and also the immune-mediated response. Therefore, promotion of healthy behaviors to enhance innate immunity with functional food and nutritional agents appears to be a potential strategy to limit damages caused by viruses to the health of individuals globally.

Several micronutrients, such as zinc, selenium, copper and iodine, modulate the endogenous airway oxidase (DUOX) system to promote the oxidative killing power against viruses. The authors elaborated that zinc is an essential nutrient that promotes health. Zinc is found throughout the body, and this micronutrient is essential for enzyme functioning. On the other hand, when zinc is deficient, one of the key clinical symptoms is depressed immunity—which leads to increased infections and frequency of disease.

Studies have shown that zinc is crucial for maintaining homeostasis of both innate and adaptive immune systems, and its deficiency is correlated with compromised immune cell development and functions. The use of zinc has been proven effective against infectious diseases in the human population. Furthermore, double-blinded placebo-controlled trials have shown that daily zinc supplementation can reduce the incidence and duration of chronic diarrhea by 25–30%; lower rates of acute respiratory infection up to 45 %; and can even decrease the duration of the common cold.

Source: Han B, Hoang BX. Opinions on the current pandemic of COVID-19: Use functional food to boost our immune functions. Journal of Infection and Public Health. 2020 Sep 10;S1876-0341(20)30636-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.08.014.