The effectiveness of vitamin supplements varies depending on the type of vitamin and health condition. A study on the effectiveness of vitamin supplements in treating eczema revealed that supplementation with vitamins D3, E, and B12 can significantly reduce the severity of eczema, as measured by the SCORAD and EASI index (Zhu et al., 2019). Another systematic study looked at the impact of micronutrient supplements, including vitamins C and D, on acute respiratory infections (ARI).
Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of ARI and shortened the duration of symptoms, while vitamin C also reduced the risk and duration of ARI symptoms, with effects more pronounced in men and in middle-income countries (Abioye et al. , 2021). In contrast, a study on pulmonary tuberculosis found no significant benefits of vitamin D supplementation in anti-TB treatment except in specific subgroups with certain genetic variants (Zhang et al., 2019).
Additionally, vitamin C supplementation in pregnant women has been shown to be effective in preventing premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (Dartiwen & Nurmala, 2020). Finally, a study of vitamin A supplementation in children in sub-Saharan Africa indicated that although it may be cost-effective, current effectiveness may be lower than previous estimates suggested (Kannan et al., 2022).
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