dianeseattle
Member
So, even though this doctor/ researcher has a vested interest in people taking supplements, independent research organizations have verified that vitamin D is a strong protector against covid-19
If you are an adult, you should be taking more than 2,000 units of vitamin D per day. It's possible that if you are post-op bariatric, you should be taking four times the usual dose. However vitamin D is fat-soluble, so you can make yourself overdose and get sick if you take too much. This would be a really great thing for anyone to consult your nutritionist about the need for Vitamin D. Make sure you cite this new study just out from Boston University. I pasted the new story in below:
There's even more evidence that getting enough vitamin D could help prevent severe coronavirus infection, particularly in older people.
Having adequate levels of vitamin D is linked to lower risk of dangerous complications of COVID-19, including low oxygen levels, unconsciousness, and death, according to a study published September 25 in PLOS ONE.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and Tehran University of Medical Studies took blood samples from 235 patients admitted to the Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran with coronavirus infection. The researchers tracked the patients' outcomes, and analyzed their blood for vitamin D levels, as well as markers of inflammation and lymphocytes, white blood cells that help fight infection.
They found that patients with sufficient vitamin D, or levels above a clinical deficiency, were less likely to have severe infections and difficulty breathing. They were also less prone to cytokine storms, aggressive immune responses linked to high levels of inflammation that can be deadly.
Dr. Michael F. Holick, co-author of the study and a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, has long been a proponent of vitamin D for preventing disease, and in a 2017 paper said that rampant vitamin D deficiency is a "pandemic" that affects over a billion people worldwide.
"Because vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is so widespread in children and adults in the United States and worldwide, especially in the winter months, it is prudent for everyone to take a vitamin D supplement to reduce risk of being infected and having complications from COVID-19," Holick said in a press release.
However, Holick has previously faced criticism for profiting from his research on vitamin D by working with supplement companies. A New York Times investigation in 2018 found that Holick received $163,000 for consulting with pharmaceutical companies from 2013 to 2017, and even more money to fund his research.
Despite the possible conflict of interest, Holick's newest study is supported by previous research with similar conclusions. Extensive evidence has linked vitamin D deficiency to greater risk of infection, particularly from respiratory diseases like COVID-19.
While the findings are somewhat contentious, since researchers don't fully understand if vitamin D supplements can cause better health outcomes, studies have consistently linked vitamin D deficiency to greater risk of severe infection.
Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, said he takes vitamin D and acknowledges it's one of the few supplements that might be helpful for a strong immune system.
And many people are deficient in vitamin D, especially while sheltering indoors or in darker winter months, since our bodies naturally produce the nutrient in response to sunlight.
People with darker skin may be particularly susceptible, since melanin can slow the process of producing vitamin D.
So, while vitamin D isn't a cure-all, and too much can have serious side effects, there's good evidence that it's a healthy choice to get enough of the nutrient, whether through sunlight, supplements, or in your diet with foods like eggs, fish, liver, and mushrooms.
ALSO:
"To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/day. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40–60 ng/mL."
Do more research b/c too much Vit D can harm you.
If you are an adult, you should be taking more than 2,000 units of vitamin D per day. It's possible that if you are post-op bariatric, you should be taking four times the usual dose. However vitamin D is fat-soluble, so you can make yourself overdose and get sick if you take too much. This would be a really great thing for anyone to consult your nutritionist about the need for Vitamin D. Make sure you cite this new study just out from Boston University. I pasted the new story in below:
There's even more evidence that getting enough vitamin D could help prevent severe coronavirus infection, particularly in older people.
Having adequate levels of vitamin D is linked to lower risk of dangerous complications of COVID-19, including low oxygen levels, unconsciousness, and death, according to a study published September 25 in PLOS ONE.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and Tehran University of Medical Studies took blood samples from 235 patients admitted to the Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran with coronavirus infection. The researchers tracked the patients' outcomes, and analyzed their blood for vitamin D levels, as well as markers of inflammation and lymphocytes, white blood cells that help fight infection.
They found that patients with sufficient vitamin D, or levels above a clinical deficiency, were less likely to have severe infections and difficulty breathing. They were also less prone to cytokine storms, aggressive immune responses linked to high levels of inflammation that can be deadly.
Dr. Michael F. Holick, co-author of the study and a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, has long been a proponent of vitamin D for preventing disease, and in a 2017 paper said that rampant vitamin D deficiency is a "pandemic" that affects over a billion people worldwide.
"Because vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is so widespread in children and adults in the United States and worldwide, especially in the winter months, it is prudent for everyone to take a vitamin D supplement to reduce risk of being infected and having complications from COVID-19," Holick said in a press release.
However, Holick has previously faced criticism for profiting from his research on vitamin D by working with supplement companies. A New York Times investigation in 2018 found that Holick received $163,000 for consulting with pharmaceutical companies from 2013 to 2017, and even more money to fund his research.
Despite the possible conflict of interest, Holick's newest study is supported by previous research with similar conclusions. Extensive evidence has linked vitamin D deficiency to greater risk of infection, particularly from respiratory diseases like COVID-19.
While the findings are somewhat contentious, since researchers don't fully understand if vitamin D supplements can cause better health outcomes, studies have consistently linked vitamin D deficiency to greater risk of severe infection.
Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, said he takes vitamin D and acknowledges it's one of the few supplements that might be helpful for a strong immune system.
And many people are deficient in vitamin D, especially while sheltering indoors or in darker winter months, since our bodies naturally produce the nutrient in response to sunlight.
People with darker skin may be particularly susceptible, since melanin can slow the process of producing vitamin D.
So, while vitamin D isn't a cure-all, and too much can have serious side effects, there's good evidence that it's a healthy choice to get enough of the nutrient, whether through sunlight, supplements, or in your diet with foods like eggs, fish, liver, and mushrooms.
ALSO:
"To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/day. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40–60 ng/mL."
Do more research b/c too much Vit D can harm you.