With COVID-19 rates continuing to increase, it remains important to maintain a strong immune system. Having adequate levels of Vitamin D is essential to a strong immune system, but unfortunately most people do not — up to 45% of the US population is deficient.
The issue of vitamin D deficiency is so critical that a group of British doctors have formed a coalition and released a digital press conference asking the government to raise the daily recommended intake of vitamin D from 400 IU to 4,000 IU. Formal studies have shown that making sure one has enough vitamin D can decrease the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, suggesting that the “sunshine vitamin” may play a role in how severe one’s case of COVID-19 may be.
Recent research indicates:
More than 80% of 200 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had vitamin D deficiency.
Spanish researchers tested how prescription vitamin D could affect people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of the 50 who received it, only one needed the intensive care unit (ICU), and all recovered. Among 26 patients who did not receive the vitamin, 13 needed ICU care and two did not recover.
U.S. researchers evaluated blood samples from 235 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID and then followed them to see how they fared. Patients who had adequate vitamin D levels were less likely to have a severe case of COVID.
Here’s how to make sure you have enough Vitamin D right now:
Function Medicine experts, including our Medical Director Dr. Maurice Beer recommends maintaining healthy Vitamin D levels the following ways.
GOOD
1 hour of direct sunlight exposure daily
BETTER
Professional grade oral Vitamin D supplement, taken daily with high fat foods
(Only 10 – 20% bioavailability & absorption)
Try Our Favorite Vitamin D Supplement: Designs for Health Vit D Complex
BEST
Vitamin D IM Booster shots every 2 weeks.
50,000 IUs of pharmaceutical-grade intramuscular Vitamin D. Vitamin D booster shots provide 100% bioavailability and absorption. Book your Vitamin D NutriBooster.
Sources:
- https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2020/10/01/COVID-19-Scientists-raise-the-vitamin-D-alarm
- https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.20087965v3
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apt.15777
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0240965
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04536298
