Vitamin D Supplements: Yes or No?

Even before the arrival of COVID-19, millions of people turned to vitamin D supplements. Some of them supplemented the diminishing solar power in the Northern Hemisphere from October to March. Some are recommended by your doctor for D deficiency. And others are currently taking supplements to protect them from COVID-19.

According to sciencedirect.com, vitamin D, calcium, which is essential for keeping bones and teeth strong, is not absorbed by our body. Vitamin D helps support our immune and respiratory system. Helps repel bacteria and viruses. Cardiovascular problems, and depression. According to the National Institute of Health’s Dietary Supplements Department, this vitamin deficiency is found in people with conditions such as kidney disease, progressive liver damage, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease. https://ods.od.nih.gov/

Dr. Ron Buffard BS, DC, DABCI, and DACBN, who have lived in Boothbay Harbor for many years and have been practicing chiropractic for 25 years, are board-certified chiropractic internists and board-certified practicing at Chicago’s Aligned Modern Health. I am a clinical nutritionist.

He orders a blood test for vitamin D deficiency for all new patients. Bouffard prescribes high doses of vitamin D with K2 and then retests the patient’s vitamin D levels three months later.

“Basically, most people north of the Mason-Dixon line are deficient in vitamin D unless they’re taking supplements. They’re certainly in Chicago. Why order a vitamin D test? There are many: obesity (BMI> 30), biliary sac, long-term use of steroids, drug therapy, alcohol-related liver problems, long-term use of contraception or insulin, aspirin or achen drugs, “said Buffard. “If your lungs are weak and prone to pneumonia, the respiratory system is where COVID-19 attacks.”

“All the studies I’ve seen show high COVID-19 mortality in people who are deficient in vitamin D. There are many reasons why you can order a vitamin D test. I am for all new patients. Order a test from. We not only want to know what’s wrong with you, but we also want to know why. “

In late September, Boston Herald published an article about the findings of Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine. He and his colleagues studied blood samples from Quest Diagnostics from more than 190,000 people in all US states. RESULTS: Samples showing inadequate levels of vitamin D “… showed 54% higher COVID positivity than samples containing adequate levels of vitamin D in the blood.”

Dr. Holic is not the only one doing research on this subject. David Melzer, director of hospital medicine at the University of Chicago School of Medicine and lead author of the study, also found an association between vitamin deficiency and COVID-19 infection. Melzer said: “Vitamin D is important for the functioning of the immune system, and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to reduce the risk of viral respiratory tract infections. Our statistical analysis shows that this applies to COVID-19 infections. It suggests that there is a possibility. “

A UCM study of 489 patients with low vitamin D (less than 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood) was followed “within a year before being tested for COVID-19.” Patients who were not treated for deficiency were “almost twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 as those who had adequate levels of vitamins.” (((https://medicine.uchicago.edu)

Supplements are especially effective in the dark months of October to April, when the sun is not at full power. We work in the dark and come back in the dark. In order for our body to make vitamin D, people need to be in the sun for 30 minutes a day. When exposed to direct sunlight, “skin chemicals are converted to active vitamins.” (Mayoclinic.org) This synthesis “reduces the benefits of sun exposure by 99.9%” when using sunscreen even at 15 SPF.

Older people are also more likely to be deficient in vitamin D because of the way the aging process affects the skin’s ability to absorb vitamins in the sun-and it’s also during warm months. .. People with dark skin take more than 30 minutes a day due to their high melanin levels. (LabCorp.com)

Vitamin and mineral supplements are sold in most supermarkets, chain stores, pharmacies and through online companies. One example is Puritan’s Pride. Regarding the use of supplements, the Institute of Medicine (on its website) has informed that “in general, treatment with oral vitamin D does not seem to be associated with serious harm.”

Dr. Anthony S. Forch, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and head of the Coronavirus Task Force, said he was taking vitamin D supplements. In a live Instagram broadcast on September 24, he said that vitamin D deficiency “affects susceptibility to infections. I can recommend it, and I take vitamin D supplements myself. I will do it. “

There are recommended adult doses based on the recommended daily intake (RDA) of vitamin D. RDA is an estimate that meets or exceeds the needs of adults based on the minimum amount of time in the sun. 600 IU / day for 1-70 years old. 800 IU / day for more than 70.

If you are considering taking a vitamin D supplement, be aware that there are medications that this vitamin may interact with or interfere with to ban the supplement. Some of these drugs are listed on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / Dietary Supplements website. https://ods.od.nih.gov. These include, but are not limited to, prednisone and other corticosteroids that reduce inflammation. This reduces the body’s ability to process vitamin D and, over time, reduces calcium and bone absorption.

And keep this in mind before taking vitamin or mineral supplements. Some weight loss medications, steroids, cholesterol-lowering drug brands, and other maintenance medications may interact with these supplements. A complete list of drug interactions with vitamin D can be found on the NIH website. https://ods.od.nih.gov

One way to tell if you have vitamin D deficiency is through a blood test that your primary care physician (PCP) ordered if he or she felt it was justified. The most common blood test is 25-hydroxyvitamin D (WebMD). Levels from 20 nanograms / milliliter to 50 ng / mL are considered appropriate for healthy people. Levels below 12 ng / mL indicate vitamin D deficiency.

If you are using Medicare, Part B coverage may limit the number of times you can order this test within a certain time frame. If the underlying condition is suspected of causing chronic deficiency, regular examinations may be approved for compensation.Check out Medicare documentation or visit Medicare.org

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website, Mercola.org, knowing your vitamin D levels and, if they are low, increasing them can provide protection against COVID-19. 55 ng / mL (138 nmol / L) had a 47% lower SARS-CoV-2 positive rate compared to those at levels below 20 ng / mL (50 nmol / L). “

In addition to supplements, diet is also a way to get daily doses of vitamin D from fortified foods such as milk, including non-dairy products. Orange juice, cereal, egg yolk, cheese, beef liver. Greasy fish – salmon, tuna, mackerel. According to NIH.gov, the highest level of D in food is cod liver oil (1,360 IU). 3 ounces of rainbow trout (645 IU); 3 ounces of sockeye salmon (570 (IU). Of the dairy products, 1 cup of 2% milk, 120 (IU) fortified vitamin D, 100 cups of soybeans, almonds, and oat milk -144 (IU).