Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32334392›Full record

SynthesisDiabetes & metabolic syndrome

Enhancing immunity in viral infections, with special emphasis on COVID-19: A review.

Ranil Jayawardena, Piumika Sooriyaarachchi, Michail Chourdakis, Chandima Jeewandara, Priyanga Ranasinghe

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · greenAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Diabetes & metabolic syndrome. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 218 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
218citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
62.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04368351 unknown statusnot on this map

Evaluation of the Impact of Bacteriotherapy in the Treatment of COVID-19

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of Roma La SapienzaRan2020 to 2020Enrolled70ConditionsCOVID, Pneumonia, DiarrheaArmsSivoMixx (200 billion), Azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine
NCT04394390 completednot on this map

Vitamin D Levels in SARS-CoV-2: Do Current Adequacy Thresholds Reflect Clinical Risk? Insights From a Large Turkish Cohort

TypeobservationalSponsorBursa City HospitalRan2020 to 2025Enrolled1,100ConditionsCOVID, Vitamin D DeficiencyArmsvitamin d
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

218 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 571 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  11. Functional Food Ingredients Enhancing Immune Health.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
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  20. Zinc and selenium status in coronavirus disease 2019.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2023
    Review

158 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Ranil JayawardenaDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka; School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: ranil@physiol.cmb.ac.lk.
Piumika SooriyaarachchiSchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Health and Wellness Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Michail ChourdakisLaboratory of Hygiene, Social & Preventive Medicine and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 4, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Chandima JeewandaraNational Center for Primary Care and Allergy Research, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
Priyanga RanasingheDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Queensland University of Technology · AUAristotle University of Thessaloniki · GRUniversity of Colombo · LKUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura · LK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsBalanced nutrition which can help in maintaining immunity is essential for prevention and management of viral infections. While data regarding nutrition in coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are not available, in this review, we aimed to evaluate evidence from previous clinical trials that studied nutrition-based interventions for viral diseases (with special emphasis on respiratory infections), and summarise our observations.

methodsA systematic search strategy was employed using keywords to search the literature in 3 key medical databases: PubMed®, Web of Science® and SciVerse Scopus®. Studies were considered eligible if they were controlled trials in humans, measuring immunological parameters, on viral and respiratory infections. Clinical trials on vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals and probiotics were included.

resultsA total of 640 records were identified initially and 22 studies were included from other sources. After excluding duplicates and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria, 43 studies were obtained (vitamins: 13; minerals: 8; nutraceuticals: 18 and probiotics: 4). Among vitamins, A and D showed a potential benefit, especially in deficient populations. Among trace elements, selenium and zinc have also shown favourable immune-modulatory effects in viral respiratory infections. Several nutraceuticals and probiotics may also have some role in enhancing immune functions. Micronutrients may be beneficial in nutritionally depleted elderly population.

conclusionsWe summaries possible benefits of some vitamins, trace elements, nutraceuticals and probiotics in viral infections. Nutrition principles based on these data could be useful in possible prevention and management of COVID-19.

Indexed as

BetacoronavirusNutrition TherapyAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolControlled Clinical Trials as TopicCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19Dietary SupplementsFemaleHumansImmunityMaleMicronutrientsMicronutrientsVitamins

Identifiers

PMID32334392
PMCPMC7161532
OpenAlexW3017373871

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.