Posted on 08/21/2021 10:33:39 AM PDT by Signalman
New studies conclude that vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing COVID-19 as well as decrease the severity of the illness.
Experts say vitamin D boosts the immune system, which can help fight off ailments such as COVID-19.
The best way to get vitamin D is through sunshine and healthy meals, but supplements can also be used. All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vitamin D is a well-known immune booster.
Now, a series of recently published studies say the supplement can also protect you from contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that can cause COVID-19. And vitamin D may reduce the severity of illness if you do test positive for COVID-19.
In one studyTrusted Source, University of Chicago Medicine researchers led by Dr, David Meltzer, the university’s chief of hospital medicine, found a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and risk of developing COVID-19.
The researchers studied 489 patients at the hospital and observed that those with a vitamin D deficiency (defined as less than 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood) were almost twice as likely (1.77 times higher) to test positive for the novel coronavirus than those with normal levels of vitamin D.
“These findings appear to support a role of vitamin D status in COVID-19 risk,” the researchers wrote in their retrospective cohort study.
They also called for further clinical studies on the possible link between the vitamin and the disease.
Meltzer told Healthline that he ranked getting adequate vitamin D in the diet “below masks and hygiene” in terms of COVID-19 prevention, but, “I think it should be near the top of everyone’s list.”
“There’s a lot of evidence that we should be taking [vitamin D deficiency] very seriously,” Meltzer said. “If you’re taking a reasonable dose of vitamin D, it’s hard to see how it hurts and it could help a lot.”
“If you’re deficient in vitamin D that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection,” agreed Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in a recent Instagram Live interview with actress Jennifer Garner. “I would not mind recommending and I do it myself, taking vitamin D supplements.”
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread More than 40 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D, which can be found in food like salmon and other fatty fish, egg yolks, mushrooms, and foods fortified with the vitamin, such as milk.
Vitamin D requires exposure to sunlight to activate in the body, a unique characteristic of vitamins.
A recent meta-analysis of 40 research studies found that daily, long-term doses of vitamin D seemed to protect against acute respiratory infections. Other studies also have found associations between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 susceptibility.
Notably, a small randomized studyTrusted Source from the University of Grenada in Spain found that of 50 people with COVID-19 treated with calcifediol, a type of vitamin D, one required admission to the ICU, while 13 of 26 untreated people required admission to the ICU.
“Our pilot study demonstrated that administration of a high dose of calcifediol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D… significantly reduced the need for ICU treatment of patients requiring hospitalization due to proven COVID-19,” the study authors concluded.
Dr. Luigi Gennari, an associate professor in the department of medicine, surgery, and neurosciences at the University of Siena in Italy, recently presented data at a meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research showing a possible link between low vitamin D levels and risk of more serious COVID-19 infections.
The Italian researchers said that people who were admitted to the ICU at San Luca Hospital in Milan with severe COVID-19 symptoms had lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and higher levels of interleukin-6 (a protein produced by the body associated with inflammation) than those hospitalized with milder symptoms (non-ICU).
People who died from COVID-19 at the hospital also were more likely to have lower vitamin D levels than those who survived, the study found.
How many taking Vitamin D have their blood levels tested? And if you’re tested, what blood level have you achieved with the dosage you’re using?
My Vitamin D story. Started taking a table of k2/D3 in 2007, which contains 1,000 IU of D3. First had a blood test about four years ago and blood level was 38.
Decided I wanted a higher level, then added a 5,000 IU softgel and took that all during the cold months. Achieved a level of 55. Since Covid, have been taking the 5,000 IU year round and my blood level has remained 55-60 the past three years.
My endocrinologist became my primary care doctor about 6-7 years ago when my family doctor left the state and moved south. I go for fasting bloodwork every six months before I see him. I'm due again in September. Many years ago my Gynecologist prescribed calcium tablets with Vitamin D. At some point, blood work revealed that I had very high levels of calcium in my system, and had to stop taking it. I was diagnosed with a hyper parathyroid, which I get tested for every six months. My calcium levels remain high, but my endocrinologist hasn't recommended surgery to remove it.
You may have to judge for yourself. Zinc makes me nauseous.
I run all over this place outside naked. Mor Vit D and it also keeps people a lot ways from me so double duty.
Take a 10 minute walk everyday. Quarantining WELL PEOPLE was probably one of the worst thing the “scientists”....like Fauci caused.
be sure to look at how muchelemental zinc has
some say 50 mg zinc but actually have about 10 mg
each different type zinc has different elemental...
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
example 220 mg zinc sulfate= 50 mg elemental zinc
you can also get an idea by coresponding minimum daily percentage
So, if you were, say, a nation trying to eliminate another country, let’s say nation “C” and country “A”, and the people of C were fat, ????
Article says “New Study” and then a few sentences later says “some information may be out of date”. No fooling. They put patients in the sun during the Spanish flu to boost D.
How many units in two to three gallons of milk a week?
So, how much vitamin D? I take 50,000 units twice a week.
That might be too much at 1 time, since your body wll flush out what it doesn’t use. Daily recommended is between 1000 and 4000 IU’s a day. I take 2000 IU’s a day with Vit C and Zinc. Seems to be a good regulation
“since your body wll flush out what it doesn’t use”
No it won’t. Vit D is fat soluble, not water soluble. But I agree, it sounds like too much.
Dr. Zelenko’s protocol:
Protocol for Low and Moderate Risk Patients:
Elemental Zinc 25mg 1 time a day
Vitamin D3 5000iu 1 time a day
Vitamin C 1000mg 1 time a day
Quercetin 500mg 1 time a day until a safe and efficacious vaccine becomes available
If Quercetin is unavailable, then use Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) 400mg 1 time a day
Protocol for High Risk Patients:
Elemental Zinc 25mg once a day
Vitamin D3 5000iu 1 time a day
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) 200mg 1 time a day for 5 days, then 1 time a week until a safe and efficacious vaccine becomes available
If HCQ is unavailable, then use the Protocol for Low and Moderate Risk Patients.
If you’re going to take much zinc for extended periods of time, get zinc that also includes copper. Taking a lot of zinc can deplete copper and that can cause problems.
Good to know, thanks :)
Do we need more than the recommended daily amount in order to get major benefits to the immune system? Like would the amount in a multi be good enough?
I believe minimum recomended zinc for adults is 11 mg zinc
I take about twice that...but I also take querecetin
if you take a lot of zinc you might think about copper
some zincs have a small amount of copper.
lots for you to read up on
depends how long you take it and what else you take..
im not a doctor
what you eat also is relevant vitamins are in food and different people eat different foods...
https://www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/supplementing-with-zinc-and-copper-a-balancing-act
56 posts, many on how much vitamin D to take.
Google search on vitamin D and covid found these:
Original article by Healthline has one study with 489 hospitalized patients, deficiency was 1.77 times higher to test positive for virus.
Another study by TrustedSource from University of Grenada in Spain has 1/50 with vitamin D treatment admitted to ICU, 13/26 without treatment admitted to ICU.
AARP references a September 2020 study by Meltzer has deficient people more likely to test positive. Page also references Spain study, and Brazil study that one high dose doesn’t affect severity.
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/vitamin-d-covid.html
A study in PLOS ONE by Dr. Michael Holick of 235 patients had vitamin D sufficient patients 51.5% less likely to die than insufficient patients.
https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/2020/09/25/adequate-levels-of-vitamin-d-reduces-complications-death-among-covid-19-patients/
webmd says one study of those with low levels found a 7.2% chance of testing positive. [Worldometers as of 9/4/21 has 40.7M cases out of 591.5 tests = 6.9%, so about 5% higher.]
Black people who were just over the normal limit were two times more likely to test positive than those with “even higher levels”.
Another report suggests higher levels don’t lower risk of infection, hospitalization or severity.
A third study found that giving vitamin D to hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 didn’t help their condition or reduce their hospital stay.
webmd doesn’t provide links to their studies
https://www.webmd.com/lung/vitamin-d-covid-19-what-to-know#1
Think of the barrage promoting vaccinations. Think of the cascade advocating masks. Then consider the embargo on vitamin D, which apparently reduces risks, for a relatively low cost with few complications.
57 and 58, fyi.
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