Vitamin D theory

[Defenbaker]

There has been some mention in the media concerning the role of Vitamin D in helping to fight the virus, particularly if the lungs are affected. Also, Vitamin D deficiency might be one of the reasons why there is a higher percentage of deaths in people from the BAME population in the UK, because dark skin struggles to make sufficient amounts of Vit D in the UK climate.

I wonder if this issue may also be relevant in the many elderly people who have died with/of the virus? Remembering my elderly parents in their final years, they got precious little sunshine as they lost mobility in old age, and preferred to sit indoors on a comfy sofa, rather than go outside in their lovely (previously cherished) garden. Also, when Dad eventually went into a care home, it was nigh on impossible to get him to go out into the garden there, no matter how sunny it was. The other residents were just the same - they developed an aversion to fresh air and sunshine!

I take a Vit D supplement during the winter, but get plenty of sunshine the rest if the year, pottering about in my garden, so figure I don't need it then. I tan fairly easily and definitely feel healthier and happier once I have decent dose of sun each day. So, I am offsetting the risk of skin cancer against the benefits of a light tan, and the possible help that Vit D might give me, to fight the virus if I catch it.

Do you think that Vit D has a key role to play in fighting this virus? Do GPs tend to prescribe Vit D supplements for elderly people, as a general way to support health? (I know that Dad was given multivitamins in the care home, as his appetite declined towards the end.)

2015 Peer reviewed study:

'Low serum concentrations of 25(OH)-vitamin D might have a contributive role in the development of coronary artery complications observed in children with Kawasaki Disease'

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25994612

Also an interesting turn of events.

David Davis MP has written an open letter to Matt Hancock, asking him to consider mass administering (or at least free supplementation) of vitamin D3 based on the mounting evidence in favour.

Well done that MP.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2018/08/06/getting-enough-vitamin-d-you-need-far-less-sun-than-you-might-think/amp/

This article from cancer research recommends 9 mins exposure in mid day summer sun for white skin. Darker skins would need longer.

It's also a great idea to eat oily fish. Mushrooms eggs and red meat.

Presently I am giving my family a daily supplement

Fortification is the way forward a study said it would be 15p to add to flour..
It is apparently in margarine so people could be directed to those brands.
Could black people suffer more due to some not drinking milk? I know there isnt vit d in that but does the calcuim make a difference?
Everyone should get out in the sun more.

I wonder if vitamin D could be one factor in the seasonality of flu - people get more sun, higher vit D levels, less susceptible to flu?

Pure conjecture of course.

2015 Peer reviewed study:'Low serum concentrations of 25(OH)-vitamin D might have a contributive role in the development of coronary artery complications observed in children with Kawasaki Disease'

"2013 Obesity can lead to a lack of vitamin D circulating in the body, according to a study led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH)."

"Efforts to tackle obesity should thus also help to reduce levels of vitamin D deficiency in the population"...

www.gosh.nhs.uk/news/latest-press-releases/2013-press-release-archive/obesity-leads-vitamin-d-deficiency

"Hyperinflammatory shock in children during COVID-19 pandemic." "All children except one were well above the 75th centile for weight."

The 14 year old boy who sadly died had a BMI of 33.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31094-1/fulltext

If you are BAME you are more likely to be a shift worker which makes you more likely to have low vitamin d levels.

Reduced exposure to sunlight and an increased risk of becoming obese;

"2017 - In an analysis of 28 published studies, night shift work was associated with a 29% increased risk of becoming obese or overweight.The findings, which are published in Obesity Reviews, suggest that modifying working schedules to avoid prolonged exposure to long-term night shift work might help reduce the risk of obesity."

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171004084933.htm

There are lots of reasons BAME deaths are higher. 30% of covid deaths have been because of blood clots. Lots of people have a genetic mutation which makes them more susceptible to blood clots (lots of people dont even know they have this mutation), and these types of genetic mutations are high in bame people. That's just one example. They have also said that a lot of the bame deaths were due to diabetes.

So you could take masses of vitamin d and then die of a blood clot.

So, there seems to be a strong case for getting a daily dose of sunshine and/or supplementing with Vit D if people are unable/unwilling to expose their skin to the sun and might be deficient in Vit D. ☺ It's interesting that in other parts of the world they have different views on the optimum level of Vit D for good health - for example, the level that a UK doctor would consider to be within normal range is viewed as being on the low side in the States. Covid-19 is a new virus so it will take time to know exactly how useful Vit D can be in fighting the symptoms, but scientists are probably already researching this.

NHS have been advising Vit D supplements for everyone since 2016.

You can buy a year's supply from Amazon for less than £15

Yes there’s so much research out there to support vitamin D and making sure we all have adequate levels for many illnesses and conditions. It’s a hormone not a vitamin and you can’t get enough in food.

I was part of a cancer study and vitamin D and my oncologist wrote a paper on it. I make sure I either supplement in winter or sit outside with no sun cream for at least half an hour when sun is strong. (Face covered for wrinkles prevention!). Kids do too. I don’t rush to put cream on them and they have never burnt.

In the UK we rarely get really hot days when you would need to put sun cream on. Most of the year you could just not use any.

So you could take masses of vitamin d and then die of a blood clot.
When taken in tablet form, Vit D needs Vit K (2? I think as opposed to K1 can’t remember). This would ensure Vit D goes where it needs to and help with bone health, immunity and whatever else it does.
Otherwise there is a risk of Vit D aiding calcification in blood arteries which is not good.
Vit K (not sure which one or if both) also supports blood clotting so if you cut your finger, the blood flow stops (this is a made up simplistic example).
Too much Vit K can induce blood clots.
The blood clotting phenomena observed with Covid-19 cases is unusual in that it present a very large number of clots for no apparent reason.
The above might not be related at all.

In any case, we need to be very, very careful about mass prescribing Vit D as it can have adverse effects if not taken correctly or if given to people whose medication might interact with some supplements.

Vit D is less well absorbed in overweight people as it tends to accumulate in fatty tissue. From what I heard, there’s also something to do with processes taking place in the liver when taking Vit D supplements. A condition named fatty liver which is, sadly, very common and under diagnosed and can be a precursor to diabetes might prevent proper absorbtion of Vit D supplements as well.

Tabby. I can assure you I can get very burnt very quickly in Britain!!!

How easy it is to wrongly diagnose vit D deficiency.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-could-anti-blood-clot-drugs-help-save-covid-19-patients-11990927?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter
Interesting news on blood clots.

Our paediatrician told me recently the link between respiratory illnesses is much more than just a theory, and that the whole family should be taking 1000 [units- can’t remember] a day. So we are. In some Scandinavian countries, food is supplemented with Vit D.

Here in Ireland we have “Super Milk” which has added vitamin D, can you not buy it in the UK?

Just reading a study where people increasing their vitamin d reduced their blood pressure

I have been taking Vit D for a long while. Have everyone in the family on it since this thing hit

@whenwillthismadnessend

Thanks but CRUK aren't independent and that study contained 39 ppl only!!!

I have just stopped my d3 and k2 supplement to see if my headaches decrease..
Vitamin d has lots of co-factors that are required to synthesise it. Supplementing with d3 when these other co factors are missing could be a mistake.

I'm now taking magnesium and getting outside as much as I can, as magnesium is one of the big co-factors. I keep banging on about it, but increasing d levels means that magnesium is used more efficiently and can lead to a depletion of this mineral.

I have just stopped my d3 and k2 supplement to see if my headaches decrease.. - how long have you had the headaches?

My dp had a headache that lasted about 4 weeks, and he was beginning to get worried. Then he read a story that long-lasting headaches were a symptom of C-19, so he was 'happy' . He thinks he's 'had it' now. Headaches went on their own.

I can't find any research that suggests it might be a symptom, but then all sorts of things seen to be classed as 'symptoms'.