Journal of Nutraceuticals and Food Science

Nutraceuticals-COVID-19 Paradox and Ethiopians Experiences: KMU in Focus

There are neither clinically approved vaccines nor specific therapeutic drugs available for COVID-19.Ethiopians are hereby sharing the world community that nutraceuticals could combat risks associated with RNA viruses despite paradoxical reports. The researchers conducted a questionnaire survey in Kotebe Metropolitan University (KMU). The key informants’ interview was carried out to strengthen the survey approach.The majorities (80%) of the respondents’ claimed nutraceuticals could combat or inhibit COVID-19 infections or reduce associated risks. The use of garlic, ginger, honey, eucalyptus, vitamins, turmeric, ruta, moringa and licorice significantly increased after the outbreak of the pandemic than before (p<0.05). The majorities (79%) are accustomed to such practices through family tradition and experienced it via experts of traditional medicines. In this regard, 85% of them strongly agree that nutraceuticals are promising candidate for COVID-19 drugs or vaccine discoveries. In addition, the key informants said COVID-19 patients could attempt any of the following four alternatives whose procedures are disclosed in this manuscript: i) Ingest garlic-honey mix followed by inhalation of eucalyptus essential oil in steamed water; ii) Ingest garlic-ginger-honey mix followed by inhalation of eucalyptus-lemon-ruta mixture in steamed water; iii) Ingest garlic-honey mixtures followed by inhalation of eucalyptus-garlic-ginger mix in water ; iv) Ingest Moringa oliefera cooked in mixture with onion, garlic and olive oil (Ethiopian dish cooking style) followed by inhalation of eucalyptus-garlic-salt mix in steamed water. Although the scope of the study is KMU, the majorities of Ethiopians (be it urban or rural or illiterate or literate) are using nutraceuticals not only for common cold or influenza but also to reduce the infection risks of COVID-19 as has been found in this study and contextualized with the literature.

Asnake Gudisa Ede*, Robel Sahilu, Million Muluget