Can Vitamin D help us fight against COVID-19?

A study involved 11,000 participants in 25 trials showed several years ago that taking a daily or weekly dose of vitamin D was protective against infections and safe overall. This analysis leads to a valuable question, can Vitamin D also help in COVID-19? 

David Meltzer, an internist and economist at the University of Chicago, found out that the people who were vitamin D deficient were dramatically more likely to have COVID-19 than the people who weren’t vitamin D deficient. Another study from Israel, published July 23 in The FEBS Journal, likewise found a link between low levels of vitamin D and increased COVID-19 susceptibility.

However, it is essential to determine the correct amount to give since too much vitamin D can lead to an excess of calcium in the blood and, in severe cases, organ damage. For instance, a study of people in the United Kingdom published in May in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews did not find evidence for a link between vitamin D levels and getting COVID-19 or having a poorer prognosis afterwards. Based on the conflicting evidence, it’s not clear whether the supplement is right for everyone. As the English Researcher, Martineau said, until the results of clinical trials are available, “people need to be cautious about what vitamins and supplements they’re taking because some do cause harm,” Weatherhead cautions, pointing to the possible side effects, as well as potential interactions of vitamin D with other drugs people might be taking. “Use of supplements with the recommended daily intake is not an unreasonable approach,” she adds. “It’s a balance.”

References

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/trials-seek-to-answer-if-vitamin-d-could-help-in-covid-19-67817