A common symptom of COVID-19 is taste disturbance
There are 3 main description of taste disturbances:
- hypogeusia is a decreased sense of taste
- dysgeusia is a change or alteration in taste
- ageusia is the complete loss of taste
Vitamins and COVID-19 taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
Vitamin B12 and general taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
In 1987, 32 years before the discovery of COVID-19, researchers in Germany reported a case of complete loss of taste in conjunction with vitamin B12 deficiency following stomach surgery. Vitamin B12 supplements improved sense of taste. More recently in 2016, researchers reported that over 60% of people with low vitamin B12 levels had taste disturbances, whereas no person with a normal vitamin B12 level had taste disturbances.
Although these early reports are interesting, they did not involve people with COVID-19...
Vitamin B12 and COVID-19 taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
Journal of Neurovirology (June 2020)
Medicine (Baltimore) (July 2020)
Clinical Case Reports (Nov 2021)
Researchers reported that 30 days of vitamin B12 supplementation with other B-vitamins and olfactory training led to complete recovery of sense of taste.
A very similar scientific publication reported that 30 days of vitamin B12 supplementation with other B-vitamins and olfactory training led to complete recovery of sense of taste.
Vitamin D3 and COVID-19 taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
A high quality 2021 study provided vitamin D3 supplements to COVID-19 patients for 14 days. Higher dose vitamin D3 led to quicker recovery from cough...but also taste!
Other nutrition supplements and COVID-19 taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
Curcuminoids and COVID-19 taste changes: hypogeusia, dysgeusia and ageusia
A 2021 research study from medical researchers in Iran reported that 14 days of curcuminoid supplementation in COVID-19 patients led to significant improvements in cough, chills, muscle aches/pains but also tasted disturbances.
Another publication, this time from the Tulane University School of Medicine in American, reported that 2 months of supplementation with curcuminoids (turmeric extract) and piperine led to massive improvements in taste in COVID-19 subjects! In one case, there was complete restoration of taste almost immediately! In another case, a 28 year old male with asthma experienced complete restoration of taste within 10 days of supplementation.
