Months ago, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, we advised you to take vitamin D.
At the time, because COVID-19 was so new, there were no studies showing that vitamin D was effective against it. But vitamin D had a strong track record against the flu and other viral respiratory illnesses. Therefore, researchers believed it was likely to work against coronavirus as well.
New studies show they were right:
- Researchers in Indonesia looked at 780 COVID-19 cases. They found that 96% of patients who died lacked vitamin D. Whereas 93% of survivors had normal levels.[1]
The researchers found that vitamin D deficient patients were about 10 times more likely to die. They concluded that “Vitamin D status is strongly associated with COVID-19 mortality.”[2]
- A study published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research looked at coronavirus and vitamin D levels in 20 European countries. Researchers found that Italy and Spain have lower than average vitamin D levels. Both countries have high numbers of COVID-19 cases and higher death rates.
But northern European countries have higher vitamin D levels, fewer COVID-19 cases, and lower death rates.
People (seniors especially) in southern European countries tend to avoid the sun and more of them have darker skin. Both factors lower vitamin D levels. But Scandinavians have higher levels because they tend to have lighter skin and eat more vitamin D-rich fish products.[3]
Dr. Lee Smith was an author on the study. He said he and his colleagues found a direct relationship “between average vitamin D levels and the number of COVID-19 cases.”
“Vitamin D has been shown to protect against acute respiratory infections,” Dr. Smith said. “Older adults, the group most deficient in vitamin D, are also the ones most seriously affected by COVID-19.”
- A third study appeared in the online journal medRxiv. Researchers analyzed coronavirus data from 10 countries. They found that low vitamin D levels are associated with a dangerously overactive immune response.
COVID-19 causes lung damage by triggering an overly strong inflammatory response. Vitamin D helps keep coronavirus inflammation under control.[4]
Best Ways to Get Vitamin D
The next time you have a checkup, ask to have your vitamin D level tested. It can be done with the same blood draw used for your other tests.
If your reading is less than 20 ng/mL, your level is too low.
To increase your vitamin D, get 15 minutes of sun a day with your arms and legs exposed. You can also take a quality vitamin D3 supplement. We recommend 5,000 IUs a day.
There has never been a more important time to make sure you’re getting enough of this crucial nutrient.
Editor’s Note: Discover the single best supplement for stronger immunity… The fruit extract that helps 93% of people with respiratory viruses get better in just two days… The germ hotspot that most of us forget to sanitize. Find all this and more in Independent Healing’s Coronavirus Pandemic Guide. Go HERE.
Related Articles
Coronavirus: Stay in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for Better Health
Coronavirus Stress: 5 Ways to Keep Calm and Carry On
9 Coronavirus Symptoms You Should Watch For
Like this Article? Forward this article here or Share on Facebook.
[1]https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3585561
[2]https://medium.com/@shinjieyong/lack-of-vitamin-d-as-an-independent-risk-factor-for-covid-19-death-82365d0520fa
[3]https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-vitamin-d-linked-virus-death.html
[4]https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-vitamin-d-linked-virus-death.html