Vitamin D Might Help Defend Against COVID-19, But We Need More Proof: Doc
Several studies published in the last month have found a possible connection between getting enough vitamin D and experiencing less severe COVID-19 outcomes. But doctors warn that there isn’t enough evidence to know for sure.
The most recent, published last week in PLOS One, found that of 235 patients who had contracted COVID-19, the people with sufficient vitamin D levels were less likely to experience dangerous complications like unconsciousness, low blood oxygen and death. The findings suggest that “vitamin D sufficiency had improved the immune function in these patients,” the study’s authors write.
It’s in line with findings from another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in early September. That study, of 489 patients who were tested for COVID-19, found that the people with vitamin D deficiencies were 1.77 times more likely to test positive for the virus than people with significant levels of the vitamin.
So, what does this mean?
The authors of both studies say that more research is needed to prove any definitive link between vitamin D levels and COVID outcomes.
“Like all things COVID, we need more evidence, we need more studies,” Dr. Dina Kulik, a pediatrician based in Toronto, told HuffPost Canada.
Vitamin D slows down inflammation, and given that COVID causes inflammation of the blood vessels, “it could make sense that low vitamin D could be associated with more severe covid outcome,” Kulik said.
Low vitamin D levels have been linked to many different ailments, she pointed out, but most of them remain unproven.
We should all be getting enough vitamin D, COVID or not
“Many, many, many children and adults are vitamin D deficient in Canada,” Kulik said. “It’s somewhat ubiquitous.” That can be bad for our bones, teeth and muscles, among other things.
To get more, it’s a good idea to eat foods that are rich in the vitamin. A lot of fish have high vitamin D levels, including salmon, herring and tuna....
