Public health experts are advising people to take daily vitamin D supplements

Public health experts are advising people to take daily vitamin D supplements.

As the coronavirus lockdown continues during the spring and summer seasons many people will not be able to spend time outdoors and expose their skin to the sun. Vitamin D protects our body from illness and infections. Therefore it is even more critical during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, people are advised to stay home which means they could be getting less vitamin D. In a study, researchers found that the mean level of vitamin D was strongly associated with the number of cases and the mortality rate.

Vitamin D levels are severely low in older people. They are the most vulnerable group of the population for COVID-19. Health authorities advise taking a supplement of 10 mg on a daily basis especially from October to March. Taking Vitamin D supplements throughout the year is recommended if a person rarely gets out of the house or lives in a care home or when most of the skin is covered with clothes when leaving your house.

Dark-skinned people need to spend more time outdoor too. Researchers are conducting several studies on Vitamin D to determine if it can directly reduce the risk of coronavirus infection. People can benefit from vitamin D during the pandemic as it improves their health condition if they are deficient.

Additionally, new research suggests that people infected with the coronavirus might show poorer outcomes if they have a vitamin D deficiency. Researchers from France and Spain are doing clinical trials. Their goal is to identify a potential role for vitamin D in the COVID-19 disease as it has anti-inflammatory effects and may slightly reduce the body's immune response to viruses. This might impact the body's immune response to the coronavirus as an extreme inflammatory immune response such as a cytokine storm can severely damage the lungs of those infected with the coronavirus.

Studies show that vitamin D helps the body to fight off common colds and flu. It also reduces the risk of autoimmune diseases. Taking vitamin D is not recommended if you have medical conditions such as kidney problems.

References:-
1. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52371688
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/
3. https://www.who.int/elena/titles/commentary/vitamind_pneumonia_children/en/