The global Covid-19 pandemic has burst into our lives, and with it has spread a wave of misinformation, myths, rumors, and fears.
Fear and misinformation can lead to negligent and reckless health behavior. Today, more than ever, we need to know how to distinguish between true and false information within the gigantic world of the internet.
In parallel with these myths fueled by social media, researchers have begun to obtain preliminary findings on the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing coronavirus, with people with low vitamin D levels being more susceptible to infection and developing severe symptoms, with consequent longer hospitalization times.
But amidst the debate over whether this news was true or not, it was met with hesitation when it first spread. Today, we know that it is not only true but will, in fact, be a health factor to consider to better protect individuals against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Vitamin D is a hormone, but better known as a vitamin – it plays a fundamental role in our immune health and fights inflammation.
Its numerous effects on the body are related to how hormones act to influence metabolic pathways and the expression of numerous genes. Unlike vitamins, which are obtained through diet and supplementation and are crucial for health but cannot be produced by the body itself, vitamin D is produced in the body through exposure to sunlight.
It's known as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies, amazingly, produce it when sunlight penetrates our skin. Our bodies absorb sunlight using cholesterol, which helps convert sunlight into an active form of vitamin D that our bodies can use.
However, don't think that, as we've just left summer and entered autumn, you should neglect your daily intake of vitamin D to strengthen your immune system.
2 in 3 Portuguese people have a Vitamin D deficiency
And why do we ask for your attention to this vital information? Because, today, we also know that 2 in 3 Portuguese people have a vitamin D deficiency! Even during the summer, just over half of Portuguese people achieve normal vitamin D levels, according to a recently published study that analyzed vitamin D deficiency in the entire Portuguese adult population (published in the scientific journal Archives of Osteoporosis ).
At first glance, it may seem strange, given that we are a country with year-round sunshine and a seaside plantation. So what causes this deficit?
A study carried out this year, 2021, by researchers from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Porto and the Gulbenkian Institute of Science, and coordinated by the Cardiovascular Center of the University of Lisbon, concluded that the Portuguese population has a higher prevalence than the European average of some genetic alterations that lead to a predisposition to vitamin D deficiency.
The area of the hemisphere in which we find ourselves will also be a factor in the deficiency of this vitamin, as well as the fact that throughout the winter, most of us are not exposed to the sun for 20 to 30 minutes a day, between our legs and arms, in order to have a large surface area of the body capable of absorbing the much-desired Vitamin D.
What are the sources of vitamin D?
The best source of vitamin D is the sun. Our bodies absorb vitamin D when we expose our skin to direct sunlight. It can also be found in foods such as cod liver oil , wild salmon, sardines, and other fatty fish, and in smaller amounts in shrimp, cow's milk (for those who are not sensitive or who eliminate it when sick), mushrooms, and egg yolks.
But here's a fun fact: To get enough vitamin D, we'd have to eat three cans of sardines, drink ten to twenty glasses of fortified milk, fifty to one hundred egg yolks, or 200 grams of wild salmon for dinner every day.
Vitamin D produced in the skin lasts twice as long in the blood as that ingested through food.
There are also some reasons why some people may have a Vitamin D deficiency, due to poor absorption, which requires special treatment and attention:
Fat malabsorption syndromes
- Celiac disease
- Crohn's disease
- Renal failure
- Rickets
- Seizure disorders (epilepsy)
- Liver failure
- Cystic fibrosis
So what about the link between Vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19?
We know that vitamin D plays a crucial role in immunity and, therefore, in our health. Individuals with vitamin D deficiency are generally more susceptible to infections.
The same study carried out in Portugal also showed that "people with very low levels of vitamin D have an overly aggressive response to Covid-19, which leads to more severe forms of the disease, leading in the vast majority to death." The project, called Vitacov, aimed to evaluate, between August 2020 and January 2021, 517 patients admitted to the emergency rooms of the hospitals of Santa Maria (in Lisbon) and São João (in Porto).
Conceição Calhau, from the Faculty of Medical Sciences and a researcher on the project, further explained in interviews: "The benefits of vitamin D in the respiratory context are already well described, as it directly interferes with viral replication, but also with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory actions. (...) in the animal model of acute respiratory disease syndrome, it has already been demonstrated that pretreatment with vitamin D decreased lung permeability, altering the activity of the renin-angiotensin system and the expression of ACE2."
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in collaboration with Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, has also conducted several studies on vitamin D and COVID-19 to monitor emerging evidence. Studies around the world continue to provide evidence on the importance of vitamin D supplementation, but in the meantime, for example, the UK government has decided to supplement the most vulnerable population with vitamin D during the winter months.
In these various studies, a correlation between vitamin D and COVID-19 was demonstrated suggesting that:
Vitamin D deficiency may increase your risk of contracting COVID-19.
Low vitamin D levels may worsen the severity of COVID-19 disease (8) and increase the risk of intensive care admission and intubation.
Vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of ICU admission.
Vitamin D supplementation, taken regularly during the year before or after COVID-19 diagnosis, improved survival among elderly patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients who received high-dose vitamin D supplementation over a short period of time were negative for SARS-CoV-2 PCR on day 21 of infection and had lower levels of an inflammatory marker, fibrinogen.
But vitamin D isn't just beneficial for COVID-19. Let's take a look at some other very important reasons why everyone—adults and children alike—needs vitamin D NOW:
Vitamin D may protect against the flu and other winter respiratory illnesses.
Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing asthma in children
Vitamin D optimizes brain development
Vitamin D helps fight anxiety/depression
Vitamin D improves attention/focus
Vitamin D promotes healthy sleep
Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis
Vitamin D prevents breast, prostate, colon, ovarian and pancreatic cancer
Vitamin D reduces inflammation
Vitamin D is an integral part of immune function in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
So, the next time you go to the doctor, ask him to include in your routine clinical exams the analysis of Vitamin D 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3, also called 25 (OH) D. This is the circulating form of vitamin D that the liver produces and which is then activated by the kidneys, that is, it is the “active” form of vitamin D.
If we don't perform regular tests, we can't determine the level and degree of deficiency in our bodies. And even if we're taking vitamin D supplements, it may not be enough. Remember that you are unique, and the dose should be tailored to your individual needs. Optimal levels are between 50 and 80 ng/ml.
Also remember that when supplementing with vitamin D, it is essential to take into account some nutrients such as Vitamin B2, Iron and Magnesium .
How long should I supplement with vitamin D?
It is recommended to take a vitamin D supplement throughout the cold and flu season and possible COVID-19 season, which may last, based on the logical progression of coronavirus infections, until next year, and whenever your levels are deficient.
Like any supplement, and like everything in life, your treatment should be personalized. Consult a healthcare professional specializing in Integrative Natural Medicine about the appropriate daily dose for you.
