Vitamin D and COVID-19 mortality (merged)

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Here is a paper (hot off the presses (sic) ) from Indonesia researchers

SSRN Electronic Library

Takeaway - low vitamin D levels are correlated with a greater than 10X death rate in COVID-19 cases, even after allowing for other risk factors.

 

[Brett]

Here is a paper (hot off the presses (sic) ) from Indonesia researchers

SSRN Electronic Library

Takeaway - low vitamin D levels are correlated with a greater than 10X death rate in COVID-19 cases, even after allowing for other risk factors.

View attachment 19894

I'm good to go - plenty of sunshine and I drink milk

 

[geekette]

gees, can be the darnedest things! Doc spotted critically low vit D in me months ago so I had to add a supplement. Glad I did!! 10x rate? yikes!

 

[easyrider]

Vitamin d-3 fills a spot on the cells where virus can enter. I use a once a week mega dose supplement.

Bill

 

[Patri]

I did see something briefly on TV where a doc was promoting getting outside for Vitamin D. That the indoor isolation was counterproductive.

 

[geekette]

I did see something briefly on TV where a doc was promoting getting outside for Vitamin D. That the indoor isolation was counterproductive.

Yes, but, if you are truly low in VitD, that's not going to help enough. I'll keep up my supplements since I don't know how I came to be low in it and no real indicators. But I would be very happy to get to good weather and stay there!

 

[MULTIZ321]

COVID-19 Deaths Are Being Linked to Vitamin D
Deficiency. Here's What That Means.

COVID-19 Deaths Are Being Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency. Here's What That Means

A vitamin commonly produced by sun-exposed skin cells might play a role in preventing death by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to new research.

www.sciencealert.com

.


Richard

 

[turkel]

My Vitamin D runs critically low. Found out when I was walking 7 miles a day outside in sunny SoCal. My daughter and sisters also run low. I take 5000iu everyday. Have been on it for a few years now. Was retested twice and with the supplement I achieve average D levels if I stop the supplement my levels just drop. Vitamin D deficiency is much more common than people realize.

 

[geekette]

My Vitamin D runs critically low. Found out when I was walking 7 miles a day outside in sunny SoCal. My daughter and sisters also run low. I take 5000iu everyday. Have been on it for a few years now. Was retested twice and with the supplement I achieve average D levels if I stop the supplement my levels just drop. Vitamin D deficiency is much more common than people realize.

Yes, I have no idea how long mine was critically low. I can't remember last time my blood was drawn for general testing, more than a decade, ever? The PCP I had for decades did not generally do this. It was the new PCP I found in December that decided to do a full workup.

 

[Monykalyn]

The ability to convert Vit D decreases as we age. It is why different kinds of Vit D forms are recommended. Kidney function can also affect Vit D levels.
Usually Vit D3 (cholecalciferol) is recommended form. Most older adults don't realize they get borderline deficient as we age.

 

[presley]

I remember being shocked when I found out how low my Vitamin D level was. My doctor tested it because I was having so much muscle pain. At the time, I was very tan because I was in the pool most days of the week in full sun as well as getting sun by walking my dogs and just living in Southern California. She had me take a really high dose for a few months and than back down to a smaller dose and said that I should take it forever.

My husband who does nutrition and Chinese medicine said that about 90% of those he sends out for testing over the age of 40 have significantly low levels of vitamin D. It makes me wonder why we aren't absorbing it from the sun. Sunscreen maybe?

 

[Monykalyn]

Anecedotally-years ago I worked in a hospital that had a heart transplant unit (I'm a Dietitian)-I was a PRN-worked in whatever unit needed me to cover for the dietitian who was off etc. We had a guy post transplant who'd had some complications (well-one right after the other) and had been in the ICU for months. Older hospital so this room didn't have a window. Couldn't get him off the vent (and the dang on call residents would mess with my tube feeding every weekend until I finally got the main transplant doc to write ONLY the RD could change the order). A couple weeks in on this unit I asked for a full vitamin panel as the poor dude had been struggling for us to get full nutrition in (see the dang on-call weekend MD/residents!!)-his Vit D level came back as basically none existent!! Mega dosing over the course of a week-the guy was off the vent, off the tube feed, awake and starting to work with physical therapy. So I have seen first hand how important Vit D is. It was scary/amazing how fast he recovered when we got his vitamin level corrected.

For those reading this-especially if over age 50-please have your levels checked if your PCP isn't already doing this!!!

 

[Monykalyn]

My husband who does nutrition and Chinese medicine said that about 90% of those he sends out for testing over the age of 40 have significantly low levels of vitamin D. It makes me wonder why we aren't absorbing it from the sun. Sunscreen maybe?

Sunscreen is a theory-most likely it is because we just lose the ability as we age. The health of your gut also effects absorption-ie if you have chronic illness like Crohn's disease it will affect it. I also think the horrible restrictive fad diets play a part as well. A lowfat/no fat diet will lower absorption (fat is need to absorb it). The fake stuff now in the food system (ie the sugar free, gluten free fat free salt free etc) are nutritionally depleted.

Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. @presley I'd bet your husband says something along those lines too? Does he do acupuncture? I have a friend with infertility-tried everything (she has severe RA from an early age and had to go off her meds when tried to get pregnant) and finally tried acutpuncture-for pain relief and infertility-and she got pregnant! The healthy girl is now almost 16. Local news did a story on her at the time. Very cool.

 

[geist1223]

Two of my 3 children have discovered they suffer from Vitamin D deficiency that they inherited from their Mother's side of the family. This caused mode swings and depression during the Winter. Their Mother and both of them are now on Mega Vitamin D Supplements. They take some year round but crank it up during the Winter.

 

[DannyTS]

this is another reason not to close the beaches but rather to encourage everyone to respect social distancing. I find the pictures of the "crowded" beaches possibly misleading, it is hard to tell whether people are 6 ft apart or 10 from a picture, especially taken from far. It is also impossible to know who is part of the same family

 

[geekette]

Those of us without beaches can simply walk outside for sun. More of us are landlocked than coastal. I would not want to be in beach breeze with many others, I'd rather go early or late.

 

[Chrisky]

Here is another excellent article about Vitamin D.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical …

www.hsph.harvard.edu

Using sunscreen protects our skin, but definitely screens out getting Vitamin D from being out in the sun.

I am sorry I cannot find it, but there was a link I used to have where I entered my longitude and latitude and it told me how long I had to be out in the sun without sunscreen to receive the equivalent of 1000 iu of Vitamin D. When we were in Barbados, at 1:00 pm I only needed to be out for 15 minutes. When back in Canada, if I remember correctly, even in the summer months I needed to be out in the sun for hours to even come close to that amount.

 

[Old Hickory]

Those of you who are talking about supplementation should also look at how your current medications are also affecting the Vit D absorption/intake. If you test low for Vit D and your doctor is suggesting supplementation, then be sure to ask her/him about it can best be absorbed with your current medications.

Regarding any vitamin supplementation, what is it made of? The FDA has few restrictions on the production of vitamins. Better to know what you're actually ingesting.

The sun shines everywhere. Get out in it. Generally, before 10 am and after 3 pm. You don't want to burn your skin but a nice tan is the skin's reaction (natural protection) to skin damage via sunlight.

 

[queenofthehive]

Vitamin D also takes longer to produce in darker color skin than lighter color skin. Sunscreen does block the absorption from sunlight. Also, don’t take on an empty stomach to help with absorption.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

It is time to take seriously the link between Vitamin D deficiency and more serious Covid-19 symptoms

A suggestive set of numbers was published online in April by a medical scientist in the Philippines, Dr Mark Alipio.

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[elaine]

DH and I take vit D and get it checked every 6 months, part of regular labs. I'll now have rest of family taking it as well. My teens were low on their labs last year. DS19 didn't bother taking a suppl. Just ordered a bottle for him.

 

[Chrisky]

Elaine hi. How many IU of Vitamin D do you take? I have read recommendations to take 1000 IU a day, and I have also read information to take more.
When your levels are checked, do you know what levels you have?

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

It is time to take seriously the link between Vitamin D deficiency and more serious Covid-19 symptoms

A suggestive set of numbers was published online in April by a medical scientist in the Philippines, Dr Mark Alipio.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Maple _Leaf : thank you for posting .

Vitamin D is added to milk etc. in Canada .
Our seasons that are short on sunshine are one reason .

 

[geekette]

Elaine hi. How many IU of Vitamin D do you take? I have read recommendations to take 1000 IU a day, and I have also read information to take more.
When your levels are checked, do you know what levels you have?

I was critically low, test results show a range and where you are on the range.

I am taking 5000 IU of D3.

 

[Chrisky]

Maple _Leaf : thank you for posting .

Vitamin D is added to milk etc. in Canada .
Our seasons that are short on sunshine are one reason .

Definitely helpful, but only 45% of Daily Recommended Allowance. Not nearly enough IMO, that is why I take extra Vitamin D.