In the frantic dash to discover an effective treatment for the novel coronavirus, Dr. Mehmet Oz reveals that one possible thing that can help is vitamin C.

Chinese medical teams are now adding vitamin C to their list of potential therapies in several clinical trials. ZhiYong Peng, MD, of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, is conducting a stage 2 clinical trial to test the effectiveness of vitamin C infusions for the treatment of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) associated with the COVID-19 virus, according to MedicineNet.

Their trial data reveals that if you are deficient in this essential, water soluble vitamin, you are at an increased risk of contracting a more severe case of influenza. In addition, there are several other clinical trials in China testing the efficacy of vitamin C therapy on COVID-19. The Shanghai Medical Association recently released a report that their experts endorse the use of high-dose IV vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19.

Data published in the U.S. Library of Medicine shows that the powerful antioxidant properties of vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, helps prevent the destruction of the alveolar capillaries in the lungs and helps control the severity of the disease that can progress to potentially deadly pneumonia. In a recent trial, 85% of the 252 people treated with vitamin C experienced a reduction in symptoms.

Dr. Donald Marks, an internist and infectious disease expert with degrees in both immunology and microbiology, says he thinks vitamin C is an excellent preventive and treatment for COVID-19.

"We are testing many therapies to treat this virus and, in my opinion, vitamin C is one of the best options," he tells Newsmax. "It is an antiviral and is readily available not only in fruits and vegetables but in a variety of over-the counter supplements as well as in throat lozenges and gummies.

"Since Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize winner, was the first to discover the antioxidant power of vitamin C to fight disease, it has shown remarkable efficacy in fighting many diseases including colds and flu," notes Marks. "Vitamin C has been shown in controlled clinical studies to significantly lower the incidence of pneumonia, which indicates that vitamin C may affect the susceptibility of humans to lower respiratory tract infections."

Physicians at Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (OMNS) say that vitamin C is also on the top of their list.

"The coronavirus can be dramatically slowed or stopped completely with the immediate widespread doses of vitamin C," says Dr. Andrew Saul, an international expert on vitamin therapy. "Bowel tolerance levels of C taken in divided doses throughout the day, is a clinically proven antiviral, without equal."

Saul adds, "Dr. Robert F. Cathcart, who had extensive experience treating viral disease, has stated, 'I have not seen any flu yet that was not cured or markedly ameliorated by massive doses of vitamin C.'"

The physicians of OMNS and the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine urge a nutrient-based method to prevent or minimize symptoms for future viral infection. Here are their recommendations for adults:

• Vitamin C: 3,000 milligrams in divided doses
• Vitamin D3: 2,000 International Units daily
• Magnesium: 400 milligrams daily
• Zinc: 20 milligrams daily
• Selenium: 100 micrograms daily

"These supplements have been shown to strengthen the immune system against viruses," says Saul.