Nutrients in prevention, treatment, and management of viral infections; special focus on Coronavirus

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by coronavirus with mild to severe respiratory symptoms. This paper aimed to investigate the effect of nutrients on the immune system and their possible roles in the prevention, treatment, and management of COVID-19 in adults. Methods This Systematic review was designed based on the guideline of the Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA). The articles that focussed on nutrition, immune system, viral infection, and coronaviruses were collected by searching databases for both published papers and accepted manuscripts from 1990 to 2020. Irrelevant papers and articles without English abstract were excluded from the review process. Results Some nutrients are actively involved in the proper functioning and strengthening of the human immune system against viral infections including dietary protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, iron, zinc, and selenium. Few studies were done on the effect of dietary components on prevention of COVID-19, but supplementation with these nutrients may be effective in improving the health status of patients with viral infections. Conclusion Following a balanced diet and supplementation with proper nutrients may play a vital role in prevention, treatment, and management of COVID-19. However, further clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings and presenting the strong recommendations against this pandemic.