Vitamin D - A Neglected Option of Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 Infections

Vitamin D - A Neglected Option of Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 Infections

Below are quotes from numerous studies showing that Vitamin D can be useful in the battle against COVID-19 infections.

"Several groups of researchers from different countries have found that the sickest patients often have the lowest levels of vitamin D, and that countries with higher death rates had larger numbers of people with vitamin D deficiency than countries with lower death rates." REFERENCE.

"Participants positive for COVID-19 were 50% more likely to have low vs normal 25(OH)D levels in a multivariate analysis that controlled for other confounders, for example." REFERENCE.

“The main finding of our study was the significant association of low plasma vitamin D level with the likelihood of COVID-19 infection among patients who were tested for COVID-19, even after adjustment for age, gender, socio-economic status and chronic, mental and physical disorders." REFERENCE.

"In the United States, for example, the COVID-19 mortality rate among blacks and Hispanic Americans is higher than among the general population, and it is well established that these groups have lower levels of vitamin D, compared with other groups." REFERENCE.

"To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d." REFERENCE.

"The researchers noted that patients from countries with high COVID-19 mortality rates, such as Italy, Spain and the UK, had lower levels of vitamin D compared to patients in countries that were not as severely affected." REFERENCE.

"Another recent Indonesian retrospective cohort study of 780 Covid-19 patients indicated that the majority of death cases had below-normal vitamin D levels and that vitamin D status was strongly associated with Covid-19 mortality." REFERENCE.

"In the meta-analysis, vitamin D supplementation has been shown as safe and effective against acute respiratory tract infections. Thus, people who are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency during this global pandemic should consider taking vitamin D supplements to maintain the circulating 25(OH)D in the optimal levels (75-125nmol/L)." REFERENCE.

"Vitamin D deficiency that is not sufficiently treated is associated with COVID-19 risk." REFERENCE.

"We concluded that the daily supplementation of 2000-5000 IU/day of vitamin D3 in older adults with PD (Parkinson's Disease) has the potential to slow the progression of PD while also potentially offering additional protection against COVID-19." REFERENCE.

"Vitamin D proved to interact both with the innate immune system, by activating Toll-like receptors (TLRs) or increasing the levels of cathelicidins and β-defensins, and adaptive immune system, by reducing immunoglobulin secretion by plasma cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, thus modulating T cell function." REFERENCE.

As you can see from the references above, there is solid evidence that Vitamin D supplementation is warranted in order to decrease the severity of COVID-19 infections. So the question is: Why is the media largely ignoring this research that could potentially save many lives?