Setting the Record Straight: Is Vitamin D the Answer to Reducing Your Risk of COVID-19?

No vaccine has been developed yet for the highly contagious coronavirus that began wreaking havoc in December last year. As such, each of us has the responsibility to keep our immune systems up so that we can at least stand a fight against COVID-19 when we get infected.

Many health experts have also recommended taking vitamin D supplements to help our body combat illnesses and pathogens better. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci also revealed that he takes vitamins to bolster his immune system.

Vitamin D and COVID-19

Moreover, there’s a link between vitamin D deficiency and the coronavirus infection – if you lack the essential vitamin, you may be susceptible to catching this dreaded virus, the doctor explained. The nation’s top expert’s advice is a nod to a recent study that showed that those with COVID-19 were more likely to be also vitamin D deficient.

Deliris/Shutterstock One study found that those with vitamin D deficiency had a greater risk of COVID-19

The study looked at 489 people whose vitamin D levels were checked a year before they got tested for COVID-19. It was found that those who were deficient of the essential nutrient had a greater risk than those who likely had enough of the vitamin.

Importance of Vitamin D

The common misconception is that we get vitamin D from the sun – however, that’s not 100 percent accurate. As per the National Institutes of Health, this is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally produced in our bodies when the sun hits our skin, prompting the synthesis of vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays a lot of roles in our body: it stimulates calcium absorption in the stomach, it aids in the regulation of immune function and cell growth, and it reduces inflammation. Unfortunately, many people don’t know that they lack this vitamin.

Can It Reduce Risk of Contracting COVID-19?

It is too early to say because there is still insufficient research to conclude that vitamin D really can reduce a person’s risk of the dreaded coronavirus. However, another study observed 76 patients with COVID-19 and found that only one out of the 50 people treated with vitamin D needed intensive care treatment.

Syda Productions/Shutterstock Vitamin D can also come in the form of supplements

There are also a lot of possibilities unexplored and questions left unanswered about the role of vitamin D in reducing a person’s chance of getting coronavirus. However, what’s clear is that this vitamin can help ward off several respiratory problems.

A study found that those who took vitamin D supplements every day were less likely to acquire respiratory infections than those who didn’t.

How to Get Vitamin D

Tymonko Galyna/Shutterstock The sun is essential in vitamin D production

There are many vitamin D supplements available on the market but the cheaper option would be to soak under the sun in the morning. The NIH advises adults to take 15 micrograms or more for 70 years old and up.