Can adequate vitamin D levels save you from severe COVID

Vitamin D is extremely important in our health and deficiencies have been implicated in numerous medical problems.

We did discuss importance of vitamin D in this post. 

Studies show that over 80% of patients with significant COVID had low vitamin D levels.

Given the importance of vitamin D in our immune system, it is not surprising that low levels would lead to an increased risk for developing COVID.

While more research is needed to determine if supplementing with vitamin D can actually prevent or treat COVID, it makes sense that increasing your vitamin D intake could help protect you from this  virus.

So, if you have not been tested for vitamin D levels, it might be a good idea to get that checked. And, if your levels are low, consider supplementing with vitamin D in order to help boost your immune system and protect yourself from COVID.

vitamin D

Most recent meta-analysis (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3596) showed the following:

"Regression suggested a theoretical point of zero mortality at approximately 50 ng/mL D3.

Conclusions: The datasets provide strong evidence that low D3 is a predictor rather than just a side effect of the infection. Despite ongoing vaccinations, we recommend raising serum 25(OH)D levels to above 50 ng/mL to prevent or mitigate new outbreaks due to escape mutations or decreasing antibody activity."

So, it is clear that having adequate vitamin D levels could be crucial in preventing severe cases of COVID and ultimately saving lives. Get your levels checked today and take measures to ensure you are getting enough vitamin D if they are low!

Vitamin D forms in our body when our skin is exposed to UVB from sunlight. It is hard to impossible to get adequate vitamin D levels in the winter, at least in most of the northern hemisphere.

That is why it is important to supplement with vitamin D during the winter, especially if you are at risk for COVID. You can also increase your intake of foods that are high in vitamin D, such as fatty fish and mushrooms.

Another alternative (and much more physiological way) is to get a UV-B (ultraviolet B) light, such as Sperti from https://www.sperti.com/ or assemble your own vitamin D lamp and teach that to to my patients when I work with them one-on-one.