Cod liver oil, a weapon in the fight against Covid-19?

Since vitamin D has the effect of preventing respiratory diseases, Norwegian researchers have started a clinical trial to evaluate whether cod liver oil is effective in fighting Covid-19.

If cod liver oil sucks more than one for its distinctive taste, it could have more than useful benefits in this year 2020. In any case, this is what US researchers are trying to prove. Oslo University Hospital, carrying out a clinical study with 70,000 volunteers to determine if this oil, very rich in vitamin D, has prophylactic properties against Covid-19, as reported by Le Monde.

Less sick habitual consumers

The idea comes from a first study conducted in March by the Oslo University Hospital aimed at assessing the risks of the virus. About 150,000 people, of whom 2,000 tested positive, answered various questions about their habits. The different responses showed that people who regularly consume cod liver oil are less contaminated or become less seriously ill than others. A difference “not astronomical, but significant enough” for researchers to investigate the question explains Arne Soraas, one of the doctors and researchers cited by Le Monde.

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This is nothing new, vitamin D deficiency can affect the immune system. As the WHO recalled in 2017, meta-analyzes reported the protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory tract infections.

The result, therefore, is not as surprising as it might seem, where “at least one in five Norwegians eats it every day,” recalls the doctor. In this large fish producing country, it is also recommended to take a tablespoon of cod liver oil a day during the R months (between September and April), when the days are shorter.

Norway, good student in the face of coronavirus

With only 291 coronavirus-related deaths for a population of around 5.5 million, Norway is one of the countries least affected by the coronavirus. Additionally, it has one of the lowest incidence rates in Europe according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. However, it is impossible to say whether it is the consumption of cod liver oil, the low population density or the discipline of the Norwegians or some other reason behind this success. Elements of response in several months, at the end of this study.

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