Adequate Vitamin D Levels Could Reduce the Risk of Severe Coronavirus Infections

Getting vitamin D may lower the risk of severe coronavirus infections and poor outcomes such as unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, and death, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal PLOS ONE.// In addition, hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were vitamin D sufficient had lower blood levels of an inflammatory marker and higher blood levels of lymphocytes (an immune cell type to help fight infection).

"This study gives direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can decrease the complications, including the cytokine storm and ultimately death from COVID-19," explained corresponding author Michael F. Holick.

Researchers analyzed the blood samples of 235 patients admitted to the Sina Hospital in Tehran, Iran, with coronavirus infection. The researchers tracked the patients' outcomes, analyzed their blood for vitamin D levels, white blood cells, markers of inflammation and lymphocytes that help fight infection.

They found that patients with adequate vitamin D, or levels above a clinical deficiency, were less likely to encounter severe infections and difficulty breathing. They were also less prone to aggressive immune responses, cytokine storms tied to high inflammation levels that can be deadly.

Overall, patients with enough vitamin D were more likely to survive. According to the research, this was particularly true for patients over 40 who were 50 percent less likely to die if they had adequate vitamin D levels.

While vitamin D isn't a cure-all, there's good proof that it's a healthy choice to get enough of the nutrient, whether through sunlight, supplements, or in your diet with foods like eggs, liver, fish, and mushrooms.

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Source-Medindia