Coronavirus: Should I start taking vitamin D?

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Public Health England recommends that people consider taking daily vitamin D supplements in the spring and summer as coronavirus blockade continues.

Normally, many of us have enough of spending time outdoors. Our skin does this when exposed to the sun.

The sun vitamin, along with others, can help our bodies stay in shape to prevent disease and infection, which is important during a pandemic.

So who might need supplements?

What is the advice?

People in the UK are already advised to consider taking a supplement of 10 micrograms per day during the winter months (October to March), and year-round if we don’t spend much time outdoors.

Public Health England is concerned that people may be losing the vitamin during the coronavirus pandemic when they advise us to stay home more.

Recommends vitamin D year-round if:

• is not usually outdoors, for example if he is confined to his home because he is protecting himself
• you live in a nursing home
• usually wears clothing that covers most of their skin when outdoors

People with dark skin may not get enough, even if they spend time outdoors because the melanin skin pigment doesn’t absorb as many rays of the sun that allow the body to make vitamin D.

The Scottish and Welsh governments have issued the same advice.

Sara Stanner of the British Nutrition Foundation said: “Unfortunately, as the effects of the coronavirus continue, many of us are limited in the time we can spend outdoors. Properly following government rules and staying home is Immensely important, and while many of us have limited access to sunlight, this means we need to be a little more careful to keep our vitamin D levels healthy. “

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. Lack of it can lead to a disease of bone deformity called rickets in children and a similar condition of bone weakness called osteomalacia in adults.

Some studies suggest that avoiding deficiency helps our resistance to the common colds and flu, although there is no evidence that vitamin D supports the immune system.

Should I take a lot?

No. Although vitamin D supplements are very safe, taking more than the recommended amount each day can be dangerous in the long run.

If you choose to take vitamin D supplements:

• Children ages 1 to 10 should not consume more than 50 micrograms per day.
• Babies (younger than 12 months) should have no more than 25 micrograms per day.
• Adults should not consume more than 100 micrograms per day and if they are going to take supplements, the recommended amount is 10 micrograms per day.

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Occasionally, a doctor may recommend higher doses for patients with proven vitamin D deficiency.

Some people with certain medical conditions, such as kidney problems, cannot take vitamin D safely.

Can you stop the coronavirus?

No. There is no evidence that it reduces the risk of contracting or becoming ill with the coronavirus.

But experts think it may have benefits during the pandemic.

Vitamin D supplements will improve the health of people with deficiencies.

Some researchers have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may be related to worse outcomes if someone contracts coronavirus. But other underlying risk factors, such as heart disease, are also common in these patients, making it difficult to draw conclusions.

Spanish and French researchers are doing clinical trials to see if vitamin D helps coronavirus patients.

Professor Jon Rhodes, professor emeritus of medicine in the UK, says that vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects and has been shown to dampen the body’s immune response to viruses. This could be relevant in very sick coronavirus patients where severe lung damage may result from an inflammatory “cytokine storm” in response to the virus, although much more research is needed to explore this, he says.

Where can I buy it?

Vitamin D supplements are widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies. They can be just vitamin D or part of a multivitamin tablet.

Don’t buy more than you need to help keep supplement supplies available to everyone, experts say.

The ingredient on the label of most vitamin D supplements is D3.

Vitamin D2 is produced by plants, and vitamin D3 is produced by the skin.

Vitamin drops are available for babies.

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How about diet?

Although eating a well-balanced diet can help ensure the normal function of the immune system, not individual nutrients, foods, or supplements will “boost” it beyond normal levels.

It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone.

Eating a well balanced diet is important for good health and is advisable even when people are not facing an outbreak of pandemic disease.

You can include foods rich in vitamin D like oily fish and eggs. Some breakfast cereals, margarines, and yogurts are fortified with vitamin D.

Should I sunbathe?

Although you cannot overdose on vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, strong sun burns your skin, so you must balance vitamin D production with the safety of the sun. Take care to cover or protect your skin with sunscreen to avoid burns and damage.

What about children, babies, and pregnant women?

The advice is:

• Babies breastfed from birth to one year of age should receive a daily supplement of 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D to ensure they get enough
• Infants fed formula should not be given a supplement until they have less than 500 ml (about a pint) of infant formula per day because the formula contains vitamin D
• Children from 1 to 4 years old should receive a daily supplement of 10 micrograms.

The adult dose (10 micrograms per day) applies to pregnant and lactating women.