Clinical significance of functional foods and dietary supplements for the management of novel coronavirus infection (COVID‐19): Narrative Review

Abstract

The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronary virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused a great impact on socio-economic activities worldwide. As for the risk-reduction of COVID-19, it is essential to take measures to reduce the exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as to increase the resistance to infection in the human host. This review reported that functional food ingredients have antiviral, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory effects. Numerous studies showed the efficacy of dietary supplements contains these food components to prevent and reduce the severity of viral respiratory infections. There are still many unclear points regarding the susceptibility of the virus infection and the aggravation of COVID-19. It is suggested that the ʻcytokine stormʼ is involved in the process of COVID-19 aggravation. There are functional food materials which act to regulate cytokine production. This is a narrative review of the evidence of functional food ingredients for COVID-19 prophylaxis.