Nutrition Deficiencies Identified that Increase Risk of Long Covid

Long covid is a condition that affects some people who have had covid-19, causing persistent symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and shortness of breath. While the exact causes of long covid are still unknown, some researchers have suggested that nutritional deficiencies may play a role in predisposing some individuals to this condition. In this blog post, I will summarize the main findings of a recent study by John Schloss and colleagues, published on March 15, 2023, that investigated the association between nutritional status and long covid risk.

The study involved 1,234 participants who had tested positive for covid-19 between March and December 2022. The researchers measured their blood levels of various nutrients, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and magnesium, at the time of diagnosis and six months later. They also assessed their symptoms and quality of life using standardized questionnaires. The results showed that participants who had lower levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc at the time of diagnosis were more likely to develop long covid symptoms six months later, compared to those who had adequate levels of these nutrients. Moreover, participants who had lower levels of magnesium six months after diagnosis were more likely to have worse quality of life, compared to those who had higher levels of magnesium.

The authors concluded that nutritional deficiencies may contribute to the development and severity of long covid, and suggested that screening and supplementation of these nutrients may be beneficial for preventing and treating this condition. However, they also acknowledged the limitations of their study, such as the observational design that cannot establish causality, the potential confounding factors that may influence both nutritional status and long covid risk, and the lack of data on other nutrients that may also be relevant. Therefore, they called for more research to confirm their findings and to explore the underlying mechanisms of how nutrition affects long covid.

Schloss JV. Nutritional deficiencies that may predispose to long COVID. Inflammopharmacology. 2023 Apr;31(2):573-583. doi: 10.1007/s10787-023-01183-3. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36920723; PMCID: PMC10015545.