During quarantine, experts say it is especially important to take vitamin D. The British Health Authority has recommended that vitamin D be taken daily during the spring and summer while the quarantine continues. We usually get enough of it by spending time outdoors, as it is produced when exposed to sunlight on open areas of our skin. It is also called the “sun vitamin” and, along with several others, helps our bodies fight off infections, which is especially important during the current pandemic.
Who can benefit from vitamin D supplementation? Even before the start of the coronavirus epidemic, the British were advised to take 10 mcg of vitamin D daily during the winter months (October to March) or year-round if they did not spend enough time outdoors. However, in the current situation where everyone is being told to stay home, the lack of this important vitamin can be felt more acutely. British specialists recommend taking vitamin D in tablet or capsule form throughout the year. People with darker skin tones may also experience a lack of the “sunshine vitamin” even if they regularly spend time outdoors.
Experts say that vitamin D has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. The Scottish and Welsh authorities have made the same recommendations. “Unfortunately, as the coronavirus continues to impact on our lives, many of us are spending very little time outdoors,” says Sarah Stanner of the British Dietetic Foundation. “It is now very important to follow all government advice and stay indoors, but at the same time many of us are not getting enough sunlight, which means we need to make sure our bodies do not become deficient in vitamin D.”
Vitamin D strengthens teeth, bones, and muscles. A deficiency in early childhood can lead to rickets – bone underdevelopment and skeletal deformities – and in adults to osteomalacia, softening of the bones due to insufficient mineralization, commonly known as “adult rickets”. According to some studies, this vitamin helps us fight colds and flu, although there is no reliable data that vitamin D boosts immunity. Some studies have linked low levels of vitamin D to seasonal affective disorder. There is even evidence that a deficiency of this vitamin can affect nervous system function and mental health.
This should not be done. Although vitamin D in the form of supplements is quite safe, it can be harmful in the long run if taken daily and in large amounts. Safe doses are as follows: In some cases, if a patient is diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, a doctor may prescribe higher doses. Taking vitamin D is not recommended for some conditions, such as kidney disease.
No, it cannot. There is no evidence that this vitamin somehow protects against coronavirus infection. However, experts believe that it is not useless during the pandemic. Vitamin D supplements will improve the well-being of those who have insufficient levels in their bodies. Some experts see a correlation between vitamin D deficiency in the body and a more severe course of coronavirus infection. At the same time, these patients often have other reasons for complications, so it is still difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.
Spanish and French doctors are currently conducting clinical trials to see if vitamin D helps patients with coronavirus infection. According to British medical professor John Rods, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, some studies suggest that it may slightly suppress the body’s immune response to viruses. This could be important for those severely ill patients with coronaviruses who develop viral pneumonia of the lungs, causing a cytokine storm – an acute immune system response. However, as Professor Rods points out, this relationship is still poorly understood. Vitamin D tablets or capsules, taken alone or as part of a multivitamin, are sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, and health food stores. For infants, vitamin D is available in the form of drops. Experts caution that you should not buy in bulk right away to avoid a shortage. In most cases, this vitamin is labeled as D2 or D3 on the package. The difference is that D2 (ergocalciferol) is synthesized from plants, while D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced by ultraviolet radiation, just as it occurs in our bodies. Research has shown that form D3 is more effective, so recommendations often lean in its favor.
There is a lack of vitamin D in food, but some manufacturers add it to their products, such as breakfast cereals. Despite its name, vitamin D is actually a hormone that helps the body absorb calcium. It is found almost nowhere except in fatty fish and eggs, but under the influence of ultraviolet rays our skin produces its own hormone from ordinary cholesterol. Some manufacturers add synthetic vitamins to yogurts, breakfast cereals, and margarines. “The need for sunlight in the summer months is highly individual and depends on factors such as skin color, body fat levels, and how quickly the body builds bone structure. It is a very complex process,” says medical historian Robert Bevny of the University of Warwick. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether you have enough vitamin D in your body not by symptoms, but by a blood test. It is impossible to get too much vitamin D from sunbathing, but you are likely to get sunburned, so it is important not to overdo it and to protect your skin from sunburn with sunscreen or clothing. The recommendations of medical professionals are as follows: