Diets and dietary supplements used during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Introduction Since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been a marked increase in the use of diets and dietary supplements (DDS) for the prevention and treatment of this emerging disease. While DDS are generally regarded as harmless, little evidence exists on the safety and efficacy of their use for COVID-19. Objectives To investigate the pattern and determinants of DDS use among the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Design: Cross-sectional web-based survey. Setting: Adults residing in the UAE. Participants: Participants (n= 2,060) residing in the UAE were recruited from databases of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs - Sharjah networks in the various Emirates. Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Prevalence and determinants for the use of different DDS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the UAE, and sources of information for DDS use. Results The majority of participants reported using a form of the DDS understudy, with special foods being the most common (95.5%), followed by intake of citrus fruits (62.1%), supplements use (56.6%), increased water intake (50%), and herbal teas (38.4%). Only 20% of participants reported the main source of information on DDS to be health care practitioners, with the majority relying on either social media (40.4%) or family and friends (28.7%). After adjustment, female gender, older age (>40 years), and Asian ethnicities were characteristics associated with higher odds of using most of the DDS modalities and were also correlates of reporting health care practitioners as the main source of information for their DDS use. Conclusions The findings showed widespread use of DDS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The use of DDS in this study was mainly guided by social media with a marginal role of health care practitioners. These findings call for a more integrative approach towards DDS to ensure its proper and safe use.

Phytotherapy and Dietotherapy of COVID-19—An Online Survey Results from Central Part of Balkan Peninsula

“…Concerning the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents of this survey ( Table 1 ), the majority of them were women (approximately three quarters), which is consistent with the previous research of phytotherapy use in COVID-19 patients from various regions [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. The present study also mainly included respondents with college and university degrees (4.23% and 63.38%, respectively), which is similar to previously reported results [ 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The majority of interviewees were employed, which is consistent with previously conducted studies of phytotherapy and various CAM uses against COVID-19 [ 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…The present study also mainly included respondents with college and university degrees (4.23% and 63.38%, respectively), which is similar to previously reported results [ 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The majority of interviewees were employed, which is consistent with previously conducted studies of phytotherapy and various CAM uses against COVID-19 [ 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Regarding marital status, most of the participants were married, again in accordance with the results of other studies [ 20 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…The results of other studies reporting on the main source of information are contrasting. In some studies, the Internet and social networks are often listed as the main sources of information on phytotherapy and other CAM [ 20 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Other studies report family and friends [ 22 , 25 , 26 ], while some report health practitioners as sources of information [ 21 ].…”

Safety and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic using an adapted version of the I-CAM-Q; a cross-sectional survey

“…Studies describing prevalence of CAM use during the COVID-19 pandemic are still sparse, but an Irani study reported 84% use [12], and a Ghanian study reported 85.5% use of CAM during COVID-19 outbreak [13]. In Saudi Arabia 93% of the population reported to use natural or herbal products during the COVID-19 [14] while 56.6% in United Arab Emirates reported use of dietary supplements for prevention or treatment of COVID-19 [15]. A Polish study found increased consumption of dietary supplements during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic [16], and in Cameroon did 24.4% of the studied population use herbal medicine for COVID-19 prevention [17].…”

Vitamin C for COVID-19 Treatment: Have We Got Enough Evidence?

“…However, not much data supported the intake of oral vitamin C supplements to increase immunity ( 13 ). Several studies have shown that oral vitamin C supplementations since COVID-19 have increased ( 15 , 16 ). However, dietary supplements in those studies against COVID-19 were not evidence-based.…”