ReviewNutrients2020
The Role of Micronutrients in Support of the Immune Response against Viral Infections.
Review in Nutrients, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 130 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
130 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 235 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship between vitamin D levels and pediatric celiac disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between magnesium levels and malaria severity.Scientific reports · 2024Pooled it
- The effects of orally administered lactoferrin in the prevention and management of viral infections: A systematic review.Reviews in medical virology · 2022Pooled it
- Supplementary zinc and vitamin D in management of symptomatic oral lichen planus: a three-arm randomized clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- FermentedNutrients · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Reconstructing pathogen-specific antibody binding epitopes and age-dependent immune signatures from proteomic-scale peptide libraries.Science advances · 2026Article
- Vitamins impacting mental/physical well-being during viral pandemics: a mechanistic review based on COVID-19: a comprehensive review.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Review
- Micronutrients in immune ageing and diabetic wound healing: modulating inflammation and promoting tissue repair.Acta diabetologica · 2026Review
- Nutritional status in pediatric celiac disease: evaluation at diagnosis and during follow-up.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- Nutraceutical Interventions in Stunting: Advances, Challenges, and Prospects.Food science & nutrition · 2026Review
- Evaluation of the Effects of an Immune-Boosting Food Supplement on the Severity and Frequency of Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Immune System as a Biosensor of Health and Athletic Performance.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2026Review
- Review
- Metal Ion-Mediated Regulation of Cell Fate: A Novel Strategy for Synergy with Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy.Cancers · 2026Review
- Association between serum vitamins and COVID-19 infection: a cross-sectional study of healthcare workers in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Examining macro and micronutrient intakes in the Sri Lankan twin cohort: validation of subjective biomarkers from the COTASS-3 study.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- The Role of Zinc in Pediatric Respiratory Infections: Evidence from Clinical Trials and Real-World Studies.Nutrients · 2026Review
70 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Viral infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the importance of public health practices including handwashing and vaccinations in reducing their spread is well established. Furthermore, it is well known that proper nutrition can help support optimal immune function, reducing the impact of infections. Several vitamins and trace elements play an important role in supporting the cells of the immune system, thus increasing the resistance to infections. Other nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, help sustain optimal function of the immune system. The main aim of this manuscript is to discuss of the potential role of micronutrients supplementation in supporting immunity, particularly against respiratory virus infections. Literature analysis showed that in vitro and observational studies, and clinical trials, highlight the important role of vitamins A, C, and D, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc in modulating the immune response. Supplementation with vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc appears to be a safe and low-cost way to support optimal function of the immune system, with the potential to reduce the risk and consequences of infection, including viral respiratory infections. Supplementation should be in addition to a healthy diet and fall within recommended upper safety limits set by scientific expert bodies. Therefore, implementing an optimal nutrition, with micronutrients and omega-3 fatty acids supplementation, might be a cost-effective, underestimated strategy to help reduce the burden of infectious diseases worldwide, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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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 OpenQuestion graph.