The race to find a universal cure for COVID-19 is heating up. Now Vitamin D is making headlines as a possible factor to prevent and treat COVID-19.
Vitamin D is vital in allowing your body to absorb calcium to strengthen bones.
“Vitamin D is certainly a good thing if a physician recommends it,” said Dr. Jeffrey Drebin, chair of the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
But how does it work when it comes to COVID?
In a German trial of nearly 10,000 people, researchers found deaths from respiratory illness were three times higher for those with a Vitamin D deficiency.
While at Northwestern University, researchers analyzed data from ten countries and found patients with severe Vitamin D deficiencies were twice as likely to suffer complications from COVID.
But experts are cautioning that more research needs to be done and not to overdo it with Vitamin D.
“It can have side effects,” Drebin said.
Too much Vitamin D can be toxic and lead to heart and kidney problems. According to the National Institutes of Health, daily intake of 25 to 100 micrograms, or 1,000 to 4,000 UI, is safe for most people.
Two population groups most commonly affected by Vitamin D deficiencies are African Americans and the elderly, the two groups also most impacted by COVID-19.