Low Vitamin D is linked to severe COVID as well as high COVID mortality according to several studies published in the last two years. One such latest study comes from Israel. In this study, researchers looked at Vitamin D level before a person got COVID. Then, they looked if the risk of severe and critical COVID was associated with Vitamin D deficiency. Finally, they also investigated if there was a correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and COVID mortality. Their findings are amazing!
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Severity of COVID
Researchers found a direct correlation between low level of Vitamin D and high risk of getting severe and critical COVID. Among the group of patients with Vitamin D level less than 20 ng/mL, 86% developed severe COVID and 92% developed critical COVID. On the other hand, only 4% developed severe COVID and 8% developed critical COVID if their Vitamin D level was between 20 and 29.9 ng/mL. Even more impressive: None of the patients developed critical COVID if their Vitamin D level was more than 30 ng/mL.1 Astounding, isn’t it?
According to researchers’ analysis, patients with Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/mL were 14 times more likely to have severe or critical disease than patients with a 25(OH)D blood test level greater than 40 ng/mL.
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To High COVID Mortality
In the same study, mortality rate from COVID was 25.6% among patients whose Vitamin D level was less than 20 ng/ml. In contrast, mortality was only 2.3% among patients whose Vitamin D level was more than 30 ng/ml.
Several other earlier studies clearly link Vitamin D deficiency to increased mortality from COVID. For example, a study from Iran concluded the mortality rate was 20% in COVID patients whose Vitamin D level was less than 30 ng/ml. On the other hand, mortality rate was only 6% if Vitamin D level was more than 40 ng/ml.2
Low Vitamin D And COVID Pandemic
Most people around the world are low in Vitamin D. This is probably one of the main reasons behind the pandemic of COVID. Why? Because Vitamin D plays a crucial role in keeping our immune system healthy. Therefore, when you are low in Vitamin D your immune system cannot put a good defense against COVID.
One of the reasons for worldwide deficiency of Vitamin D is myths about Vitamin D. For example, one myth is that you should have a good level of Vitamin D if you live in a sunny place. However, several studies from sunny places have found most of the population are low in Vitamin D. Even the current study from Israel shows 52.5% of individuals had a Vitamin D level less than 20 ng/mL, and 14.2% had a level of 20 to 30 ng/mL. In other words, a whopping 67% of individuals living in a sunny place like Israel were low in vitamin D.
On the other hand, only 15.8% had Vitamin D level greater than 40 ng/mL, which is considered to be a minimal adequate level of Vitamin D.
In Summary
Low Vitamin D most likely increases COVID severity as well as its mortality. Therefore, optimize your Vitamin D level to put up a good defense against COVID and other infections. In addition, Vitamin D also has many other health benefits. It is cheap and easily available worldwide. Vitamin D may also prevent you from getting COVID in the first place.
How To Raise Your Vitamin D Level
