Web users look to a world of nutrients in the face of COVID-19

From zinc to turmeric, web users seem to be looking for ways to boost their immune defense systems with vitamins, nutrients or herbs in the face of covid-19. A report from Google Trends suggests that consumers are making links between the virus and such nutrients. But, depending on their global location, people aren't searching for the same ones. So while Europeans are showing interest in vitamin D, South Americans are more interested in zinc.

Could where you live could affect how you plan on combating covid-19? A Google Trends report based on data collected between June 1, 2019, and April 27, 2020 reveals how the pandemic could be affecting the dietary choices of consumers around the world and their tendency to look for certain active ingredients. Published in the journal "Nutrients," the report examines the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on dietary and lifestyle behaviors.

The data reveals a correlation between covid-19 cases and searches for specific nutrients like vitamin E, C, D, A and B, as well as zinc, coffee, ginger, selenium, garlic and turmeric. However, interest in the various active ingredients varies between different global regions. In Europe, for example, web users showed particular interest in vitamin D in relation to the novel coronavirus, especially in Hungary, the UK, Germany, Ireland and Norway.

People in Asia notably in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as in the Middle East and Africa, were more likely to search for vitamin C in relation to coronavirus. Those in South America and Caribbean countries more commonly searched for zinc. People in Caribbean and African countries also searched for garlic and turmeric.