Evaluation of knowledge and attitude changes of physicians and dietitians to nutritional supplements and herbal products with the effect of COVID-19 pandemic

As of March 11, 2020, with the World Health Organization's declaration of the COVID-19 infection as a pandemic, it was supported by studies that increased the use of nutritional supplements and herbal products in order to support the immune system and protect against the virus. An online survey was conducted with 115 physicians and 98 dietitians in order to evaluate the point of view of physicians and dietitians on this issue, its use and their recommendation to their patients during the COVID-19 process. The independent variable of the research is the COVID-19 pandemic. SPSS 23.0 program was used in the analysis of statistical data. 50.7% of the 213 people who participated in the survey stated that they received training on Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Holistic Medicine and Functional Medicine. 73.2% of the participants stated that they noticed a change in the use of nutritional supplements and/or herbal products during the COVID-19 pandemic process. 66.1% of the physicians participating in the survey and all of the dietitians used nutritional supplements during the pandemic process. Vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc were the most frequently used nutritional supplements by physicians and dietitians to support the immune system and protect against the virus during the pandemic process. When looking at herbal products, 59.2% of the total sample used it, followed by ginger (62.5%) and black elderberry (45.3%) in the second place. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, an increase has been observed in recommending nutritional support and herbal products to patients during the pandemic process, and the biggest increase has been in the case of dietitians recommending vitamin C to their patients. While this rate was 60.9% before the pandemic, it became 80.9% during the pandemic period. The nutritional support most consulted by the patients was vitamin D, and the herbal product was black cumin oil. Most of the participants state that the level of knowledge about nutritional support (77%) and herbal products (70.6%) has increased during the pandemic process.