-Anuska Sen, Team bioXone
It is a well-known fact to all of us that Vitamin D is indispensable in a healthy life. Not only does it help in maintaining proper bone formation and its structure, but it also aids to prevent skin cancer in people. One of the best, easiest and most reliable natural sources of Vitamin D is sunlight. If Vitamin D can reduce the chances of death in Covid-19 by half, then it would seriously be of surging importance to all.
A recent study conducted by Dr. Michael F. Holick and the team at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) claims that “Vitamin-D sufficiency can reduce the complications” of Covid-19.
A concentration of 30ng/mL or greater was taken as the sufficient amount of Vitamin D in the body. Their study reported that among hospitalized patients, who are believed to be at a greater risk of mortality and other morbidities, those who had sufficient levels of Vitamin D in their body had at least 50% less risk of Covid-19 mortality.
The probable mechanism of Vitamin-D action as suggested by the team was that it brings about alterations in the immune response of the body. It leads to increased lymphocyte percentage in the body. The vitamin also reduces the risk of “cytokine storm”, meaning excessive production of cytokines (a protein secreted by the immune system) is significantly diminished. Earlier in July 2020, a study conducted by researcher Dina Ragab and team had clearly suggested that mortality in Covid-19 was modulated by cytokine storm, which leads to tissue damage, multi-organ failure and finally death.
Following the same idea, Dr. Holick and group has proposed that since Vitamin D has been found to be decreasing the Covid-19 cytokine storm, having sufficient levels of Vitamin D in the body can reduce the risk of Covid-19 mortality. In many countries, the problem of Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent, both among children and adults. Thus Dr. Holick says that it becomes absolutely necessary to take Vitamin D supplements in this dire situation, especially in winter, to reduce the risk and other complications of Covid-19.
Source: Maghbooli Z, Sahraian MA, Ebrahimi M, Pazoki M, Kafan S, Tabriz HM, et al. (2020) Vitamin D sufficiency, a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at least 30 ng/mL reduced risk for adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 infection. PLoS ONE 15(9): e0239799.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239799
Other references: Ragab D, Salah Eldin H, Taeimah M, Khattab R and Salem R (2020) The COVID-19 Cytokine Storm; What We Know So Far. Frontiers in Immunology; 11:1446.
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