Protective effect through vitamin D? Preventing deficiency in vitamin D – healing practice

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Does vitamin D protect against the coronavirus?

Whether vitamin D can protect against disease with COVID-19 is still controversial. The following article summarizes the previous findings on the protective effect of vitamin D in relation to the coronavirus.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread

In winter in particular, many people suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D, because normally vitamin D is mainly formed by the sun’s rays on the skin and a deficit can easily occur due to a lack of sunlight in winter. In addition, the so-called vitamin D synthesis ability decreases High unfortunately in old age, which favors vitamin D deficiency in the elderly.

Get vitamin D through your diet

In addition to the sunlight is also the recorded nutrition an important source of vitamin D. Some high-fat foods, such as salmon, tuna, and liver, contain vitamin D. There are also special foods that have been fortified with vitamin D. These include, for example, margarine, mushrooms and chanterelles. However, only a small percentage of the daily vitamin D requirement is covered through food.

Free distribution of vitamin D supplements?

In England, health authorities are planning to distribute vitamin D supplements free of charge to more than 2.5 million vulnerable people this winter. These are mainly people in old people’s homes. This year it is more important than ever for people to take vitamin D because most people spend less time outdoors. Therefore, the government has decided to give vitamin D to the clinically extremely vulnerable people, explains Dr. Alison Tedstone of Public Health England told the news channel BBC.

Vitamin D protects muscles and bones

Vitamin D is particularly important for bones and muscles, but also has a preventive effect against respiratory infections. If there is a deficiency, it can make sense to take vitamin D supplements. In this context, the Robert Koch Institute warns (RKI) but before overdosing. This could be, for example nausea and even lead to severe kidney, heart and circulatory problems.

COVID-19: Sick people are often vitamin D deficient

Already in April 2020 showed a studythat people suffering from COVID-19 often have a vitamin D deficiency. Another study with the participation of the University of Cantabria in Santander showed that 82.2 percent of people suffering from COVID-19 suffer from vitamin D deficiency. In the control group with people without a disease caused by the coronavirus, however, the value was only 47.2 percent.

Possible reasons for increased risk

The researchers said that people with vitamin D deficiency have a higher prevalence of high blood pressure and have cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the affected people would have increased serum ferritin and troponin levels and a longer stay in hospital than people with 25OHD levels ≥20 ng / mL.

However, the researchers from the University of Cantabria also stated that they had not found any connection between vitamin D concentrations or vitamin deficiency and the severity of the disease.

Influence of vitamin D on respiratory infections?

Vitamin D is known to be beneficial for the bones, so it is often prescribed for the prevention of osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. Studies, which were carried out exclusively on children in Asia, showed that vitamin D can also modulate certain immune functions in respiratory infections.

This could suggest a connection between vitamin D and COVID-19. However, experts believe that it is premature to say that vitamin D protects against COVID-19. At this point in time, some research groups around the world have found that people who are vitamin D deficient are more likely to have COVID-19 illnesses. However, this is not conclusive evidence of a causal relationship.

Results of further investigations

Another study found that children with COVID-19 had, on average, lower vitamin D levels than a control group of healthy children. However, no chronically ill children took part in the study. The results nevertheless suggest that vitamin D levels can be linked to the occurrence of COVID-19.

Serious COVID-19 illness favored by vitamin D deficiency?

Researchers at the German University of Hohenheim have the results of 30 studies analyzed, which dealt with COVID-19 and vitamin D. It was found that the risk of a severe course of COVID-19 disease with lower vitamin D levels is higher than it is for people with normal vitamin D levels.

However, the researchers point out that an existing vitamin D deficiency is often linked to various other pre-existing conditions, which in turn can have an influence on the risk of COVID-19. (as)