The domestic situation of the COVID-19 epidemic is gradually improving, and people can finally breathe a sigh of relief...

But the development of the overseas epidemic is worrying...

At present, for the general population, improving their own immunity is the key to fighting the virus. In daily life, many people try to improve their immunity by supplementing vitamin C or protein powder. Is this feasible?

Let's talk about improving immunity!

Vitamin C is by no means a panacea

For treating COVID-19, take some vitamin C...

For a cold, take some vitamin C...

To whiten the skin, take some vitamin C...

As we all know, vitamin C is a very important and essential nutrient for the human body, and it also has antioxidant effects. Therefore, people often regard vitamin C as a well-deserved popular health star.

Can vitamin C prevent COVID-19 and colds?

In fact, this is a controversial topic. A large number of evidence-based medical data show that for the general population, vitamin C has no preventive effect on COVID-19 and other viral infections. Considering the advantages of low cost and high safety of vitamin C, it is beneficial for cold patients to take an appropriate amount of vitamin C to a certain extent.

It should be noted that vitamin C cannot be taken casually, as it has many interactions with other drugs.

Special reminder: Usually, the content of vitamin C supplements (health care brands) sold on the market is 1000 mg per tablet (almost 10 times the dose of common tablets), while a normal person needs about 75 mg of vitamin C per day. Excess vitamin C cannot be absorbed by the human body and will be excreted in the urine in the form of oxalic acid. Long-term use may cause symptoms such as urinary tract stones, increased excretion of urinary oxalate and urate, deep vein thrombosis, intravascular hemolysis or coagulation, and sometimes may lead to reduced phagocytic capacity of white blood cells. Therefore, high-dose vitamin C should not be taken for a long time!

Human albumin has no specific effect

It is not known when many people began to rely on human albumin, even regarding it as a specific drug to improve immunity. So, does it really have a specific effect on improving immunity?

The indications of human albumin are to correct hypovolemia, maintain colloid osmotic pressure, and assist in the treatment of hypoalbuminemia. It should be noted that when hypoalbuminemia exists, the primary disease should be the main focus of treatment, and human albumin only plays an auxiliary role. Hypoalbuminemia may be caused only in cases such as burns (severe injuries), pancreatitis, excessive renal excretion, severe malnutrition, major surgery (bleeding), and severe infections.

For normal people, taking human albumin is not only of little significance but also harmful.

1. Human albumin is a human blood product, which may cause allergies, especially for some patients with allergic constitution, and may even lead to anaphylactic shock and death.

2. Blood albumin is a colloid in the human body. For patients with abnormal heart and kidney functions, if a large amount is supplemented in a short time, it may cause excessive cardiac volume load and aggravate heart failure. Therefore, for patients with heart and kidney insufficiency, if it is necessary to use it, the intravenous drip speed should not be too fast, and the dosage should not be too large.

3. Human albumin also has some relatively mild adverse reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and rashes.

Protein powder may not be "really good"

Although protein powder is rich in protein, it is not suitable for everyone, especially healthy people. As long as they have a balanced diet, there is no need to take protein powder to supplement protein, and some people cannot take protein powder.

1. People with poor kidney function. The main active ingredient of protein powder is protein, which needs to be excreted through the kidneys. For people with poor kidney function, excessive intake of protein powder will lead to the inability to excrete protein, increasing the burden on the kidneys and aggravating kidney disease.

2. People allergic to whey protein. Protein powder contains a large amount of whey protein. If you are allergic to whey protein, taking protein powder will only make things worse.

3. Infants and young children. Infants and young children are not fully developed and cannot be over-supplemented with protein.

4. People with gout. Most protein powders sold on the market are mainly soy protein. Soy protein powder contains purines. Gout patients need to reduce their intake of purines. If they take a large amount of protein powder, it may lead to purine metabolism disorders, increase uric acid levels in the body, and aggravate gout.

5. People with poor liver function. Protein needs to be metabolized from the liver after entering the human body. A large intake of protein powder will increase the burden on the liver, especially for patients with cirrhosis and hepatic coma, which may aggravate their condition.

Scientific diet is worth having

According to the "Nutritional Diet Guidance Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19" issued by the National Health Commission on February 8, ordinary people should do the following six points:

1. Sufficient energy. Take 250-400 grams of grains and potatoes every day, including rice, flour, miscellaneous grains, etc.

2. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. Take more than 500 grams of vegetables and 200-350 grams of fruits every day, and choose more dark-colored fruits and vegetables.

3. Ensure adequate water intake. Drink 1500-2000 ml every day, in small amounts for many times, mainly boiled water or light tea.

4. Eat a variety of dairy products, especially yogurt, equivalent to 300 grams of liquid milk per day. Often eat soy products and适量 nuts.

5. Those with poor appetite and insufficient food intake, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases can take nutrition-enhanced foods, special medical purpose formula foods or nutrient supplements, and appropriately supplement protein and micronutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin D. However, it should be noted that supplements should not be excessive.

6. Ensure adequate sleep and appropriate physical activity, 5 days a week, with exercise time not less than 30 minutes a day. For people with weak physical strength, exercise can be done in batches throughout the day.

To enhance immunity, be a "three-good student": eat well, sleep well, and exercise well.

The epidemic is ruthless, but people are affectionate. Victory will surely be "ours"!

The pictures and texts are reprinted from the official WeChat public account of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association for popular science. If there is any copyright involved, please inform us. We remain neutral on the views in the text, which are for reference and communication purposes only.