Herbal product and dietary supplement use for SARS-CoV-2: A descriptive survey from Türkiye

SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that causes a severe and potentially fatal disease called to as COVID-19. This study aimed to examine the use of herbal products and dietary supplements in Türkiye during the SARS-CoV-2, identifying the products used and determining the factors affecting their use. In this descriptive online research, 1731 questionnaires were analyzed. The questionnaire form contained 27 questions addressing sociodemographic characteristics, individuals’ experiences of SARS-CoV-2, and herbal product use. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were performed for data analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0. From among 1731 participants, 1225 (70.8%) used herbal products or dietary supplements. The most commonly used products were sage, lemon, honey, garlic, peppermint, vitamin C, and ginger. Logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with the use of these products were the presence of chronic disease and infection test results. While 47.2% of the participants used such products on their initiative without advice from any source, 36.2% received advice from pharmacists and 25.0% received advice from doctors. The most common sources of information were pharmacists (51.8%), doctors (40.9%), and the internet/social media (39.7%). Participants reported obtaining the products from pharmacies (63.7%), herbal shops (37.9%), and grocery markets (36.5%). Considering the public’s’ strong tendency of using herbal products and dietary supplements, health professionals must provide consultancy on the use of these products.