SHOULD I TAKE ZINC TABLETS?

Many people are taking supplements to try and keep COVID-19 at bay. Do they work?

- MICHAEL MOSLEY

The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to carry out social distancing and regularly wash your hands. But as shops and workplaces reopen, what about bolstering your body by taking other remedies – such as zinc supplements – which have been vaunted as a way to help prevent COVID-19?

Your body contains around two to three grams of zinc. There are more than 300 enzymes whose activity is linked to zinc, which helps explain why your body needs it for a wide range of roles, including wound healing, protein synthesis and ensuring a fully functioning immune system.