Vitamin D “inexpensive and safe” for treating COVID-19

Scientists have found that long covid patients could benefit from taking a vitamin D supplement. After reviewing the latest scientific research, academics conclude that vitamin D is an “inexpensive and safe supplement to add as part of COVID-19 treatment.”

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to various health conditions, including osteoporosis, cancers, CVD, and chronic inflammation. We can add COVID-19 to that list, say scientists.

Long-COVID is a well-documented but little understood effect of COVID-19. People may experience life-limiting symptoms for months or even years after the typical symptoms of the disease, such as a high temperature and dry cough, have passed. Long COVID symptoms vary but can include fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, chest pain, muscle aches and headaches.

The spread of COVID19 is slower in the summer, partly due to the effects of sunlight. The team found evidence of a “high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with COVID-19 with acute respiratory failure.” Furthermore, they established that vitamin D deficiency is related to the “severity and mortality of COVID-19.”

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in our bodies, contributing to our immune system and helping to build stronger bones. It acts as an “immunomodulatory hormone”. Specifically, vitamin D can “inhibit hyperinflammatory reactions and accelerate the healing process,” say scientists – including the lungs.

The study finds that “vitamin D lowers the risk of a cytokine storm that can lead to pneumonia.” Patients who experience acute forms of COVID-19 are at a higher risk of developing “the improvement of immunity through better nutrition can be a substantial and vital factor to consider, and vitamin D shows a significant role in immune function.”

The authors caution that vitamin D deficiency alone may not be the sole cause of Long COVID. “Vitamin D deficiency is related to many other diseases and conditions that will increase the risk of developing a long-term COVID-19,” they say.

Long-COVID remains a little understood. Authors urge more focused research into the causes and potential treatment for Long Covid.

Scientists don’t fully understand the relationship between vitamin D and COVID 19. They say that “no studies to date have found that vitamin D affects post-COVID-19 symptoms or biomarkers.” However, they conclude that “the fundamental role of this vitamin on immune function is evident.”

Ensuring we all get enough vitamin D is essential for us all. It plays a critical role in our bodies, supporting our immune systems and helping our bone tissue to replenish. Vitamin D primarily comes from sunlight. Unfortunately, while it’s abundant in the summer, just 20% of us get enough vitamin D. That means up to 80% of us are missing out on the benefits of vitamin D – and our bodies are suffering.

Women are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D – and are more likely to suffer from Long COVID too, suggesting a link between the two.

The NHS advises that we can all benefit from taking a vitamin D supplement between October and March when we don’t get enough from sunlight. At Stronger Bones, we sell a handpicked selection of supplements, including vitamin D, at the lowest prices. You can shop online, and subscribe to save even more.

You can read the full paper, Vitamin D: A Role Also in Long COVID-19? here.