Nirvana Naturopathy & Retreat
A recent study claims that COVID-19 risk may increase in people with Vitamin D deficiency
August 12, 2020 
by Admin
In a fight against the deadly COVID-19, Israeli researchers and also healthcare professionals at the Complete Med Care Clinic in Dallas, Texas, have found that Vitamin D deficiency in the blood is associated with an increased risk of coronavirus infection. The study by the Israeli researchers have been published in the FEBS journal after the team examined data of about 7,807 people.
For those who don’t know, Vitamin D is a hormone. It is produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight. It helps in regulating the phosphates and calcium in the body, which are required to keep teeth, bones and muscles healthy. Vitamin D is fat-soluble and it regulates the immune response of the WBCs (white blood cells) by preventing them from releasing a lot of inflammatory cytokines.
If there is an excess of cytokine in your body, it would result in a cytokine storm and this is a serious complicated related to COVId-19. This is a severe immune reaction that makes the body destroy its own tissues and cells, along with the virus.
There are speculations that the lack of Vitamin D is one of the reasons why for death rates across the globe.
Studies have found that Vitamin D deficiency was 80% in obese people, 58% in people with pre-diabetes and 63% in people with diabetes. There are also past studies that link low level of Vitamin D with a high susceptibility to acute respiratory tract infections.
As people are staying indoors during the pandemic, more and more people are being deprived of Vitamin D. Normally, you would get a healthy dose of this vitamin by spending time outside. Your skin would be exposed to the sun. Also, dark-skinned people might not be getting enough Vitamin D and they have to think of alternatives.
WILL VITAMIN D STOP CORONAVIRUS?
There are no evidence that says that COVID-19 can be stopped if you are not deficient of Vitamin D, but your risk of getting infected certainly reduces. Also, if you do get infected, the chances of you making a full recovery increases.
HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE VITAMIN D IN YOUR BODY?
There are Vitamin D supplements available in the market, but we, at Nirvana Naturopathy & Retreat, strongly advice against self-medication. This isn’t the time for over-the-counter supplements or medicines. You can consult your doctor regarding the supplements.
In the meanwhile, you can concentrate on eating a well-balanced diet. After all, good health is important if you want to fight this deadly pandemic. Make sure that your diet includes Vitamin D rich foods like, eggs and fatty fish. If you can manage to get canned tuna or salmon, they’re a great source of this vitamin. Even sardines and herring would do.
Cod liver oil is a very popular supplement and if you do not want to eat fish, you can think of cod liver oil. Even children can consume this.
Mushrooms are also a good source.
You can also increase your intake of cow’s milk, soy milk, oatmeal and cereals, and orange juice. But, check the packaging label to see if they’re fortified with Vitamin D.
If you have a terrace or a balcony, make it a point to go out there in the morning to let your skin soak up some Vitamin D.
Until and unless there’s a vaccine for COVID-19, your only precautionary measure is to stay healthy. If you wish to know more, contact us.
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