Health Professionals have long known that Vitamin D is critical for bone and muscle health. Now, emerging research is highlighting this nutrient’s many other benefits to the body, including its ability to reduce the incidence and severity of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
By Lindsey Flannery
Health Professionals have long known that Vitamin D is critical for bone and muscle health. Now, emerging research is highlighting this nutrient’s many other benefits to the body, including its ability to reduce the incidence and severity of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. It helps your body absorb and maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphate, which are crucial for bone health. It also supports the heart, brain, lung and teeth.
Further, Vitamin D plays a key role in mood regulation. People with seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that occurs in the fall and winter, are often deficient in Vitamin D. Maintaining adequate levels of Vitamin D is protective against depression and anxiety.
Newer evidence suggests that Vitamin D is involved in immune and inflammation responses, which is why it’s receiving attention for its benefit to COVID patients. Multiple studies have shown a correlation between low Vitamin D levels and higher rate of COVID infections, severe disease and mortality.
In a January 2021 study published on PubMed, Vitamin D deficiency was found in 82.2 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases and only 47.2 percent of population-based controls. It showed that Vitamin D deficiency was associated with more severe systemic inflammatory response and respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients.
However, there’s a good chance you are deficient and don’t even realize it. According to a January 2011 study by Nutrition Research, up to 42 percent of Americans are deficient in this key nutrient. And because most of our Vitamin D needs are met via sun exposure, that number is higher in northern latitudes. For much of the year, the sun’s rays are simply not strong enough in the Midwest to allow for Vitamin D production in the body.
There are several dietary sources of Vitamin D, including: salmon and tuna, egg yolks, beef liver and fortified foods like milk and orange juice. However, the amount of Vitamin D these foods provide is relatively small and it’s difficult to meet your needs through food alone.
Signs of Vitamin D deficiency may include muscle, bone or back pain, fatigue, and mood changes like depression and anxiety. Deficiency is also linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune conditions, skin conditions like psoriasis and even some types of cancer.
Even if you don’t notice symptoms, it’s important to pay attention to your Vitamin D intake. The recommended daily amount for adults is 600 to 800 IU. In addition to moderate summer sun exposure and dietary sources, supplementation with Vitamin D can help ensure you’re getting enough, especially in the winter. Most daily multivitamins have between 400-1,000 IU, which is adequate for most adults.
If you suspect a severe deficiency, or have other risk factors, it’s important to discuss supplementation with your doctor. A higher amount can be appropriate for certain individuals, but there are risks to taking too much. In certain cases, your doctor may want to establish your Vitamin D level with a blood test.
[[In-content Ad]]
Submit A Comment
Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.