Study: Patients Low In Vitamin D Twice As Likely To Develop Severe COVID-19 Symptoms
Here are some facts about vitamin D. It is important to remember that just one study is only an observation but can be used to form a hypothesis for further research. Actually vitamin D is now thought of as a hormone that is involved with helping to build strong bones. Also as a hormone, it plays key roles in combating chronic inflammation. It does this by entering cells and turning genes that produce Inflammatory substances “off” and those that produce substances that reduce inflammation “on.” In our days of living with the pandemic, we need to pay attention to the dietary factors that may help curtail the effects of the coronovirus or COVID-19.
Inadequate vitamin D status is common.
How to Improve your vitamin D status:
- Substitute a cup of skim milk for a sweetened beverage at one meal or snack a day.
- Eat salmon once a week at dinner.
- Select a vitamin D-fortified orange juice.
- Buy or select and consume vitamin D-fortified breakfast cereals.
- Exercise or walk in sunshine for 10 minutes three times a week. Best to wear shorts or short sleeves for better exposure (weather dependent, of course). Vitamin D is manufactured from a form of cholesterol in skin cells upon exposure to ultra-violet rays from the sun. You cannot get too much vitamin D from sun exposure.
- Take a vitamin D supplement (400-600 IU) daily until you are able to get enough vitamin D through dietary means. NOTE: Please get your doctor’s permission to take vitamin D supplements since it is classified as a fat soluble vitamin and can be toxic at high doses (4,000 IU/ is the upper Tolerable Level) or 100 ug/day. Check labels carefully. Source: Nutrition Now, 7th Edition, Judith E. Brown
FOOD, FACTS and FADS 