Well Body

Tag: COVID

“In the Weeds” with Vitamin D

Vitamin D Deficiency

42% of the US population is Vitamin D deficient:

  • Sun blocks and dark pigmentation can prevent the natural production of Vitamin D in the skin
  • Inadequate intake of foods containing vitamin D such as fish liver oil, trout, salmon, mushrooms and egg yolks
  • With age, kidneys may reduce the capacity to covert vitamin D to it’s active form
  • Poor digestion prevents absorption of vitamin D
  • Obesity, as fat cells sequester vitamin D, reducing the available vitamin D

Depending on your complexion, 20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure of your arms and legs will manufacturer your daily vitamin D requirements.  

Vitamin D Supplements

Although fat soluble, toxic levels of vitamin D are rare.   Toxic levels require an excessive intake, greater than 40,000 IU of vitamin D, over an extended period of time to reach harmful levels.

Daily supplementation of 4000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D is beneficial according to current medical literature.   The addition of Vitamin K2 promotes the cellular absorption of vitamin D.  Increasingly, supplement manufacturers are combining K3 with vitamin D for a more effective result. Much greater dosages are indicated for short-term, therapeutic treatment of an infection.

https://journals.lww.com/co-otolaryngology/Abstract/2011/06000/Vitamin_D__immunomodulation_of_asthma,_allergic.17.aspx

Why Viral Flu and Colds Decline in the Summer

The Vitamin D we naturally produce in our skin from exposure to the sun may be one of the reasons we experience a reduction in flu and colds during the summer months.  Conversely, these viral infections increase in the fall and winter months as we spend less time out of doors in reduced sun light.

Over the last several years, the role of vitamin D in immune modulation has shown to have a significant impact on immune function.  In particular, respiratory conditions ,such as the inflammatory conditions of asthma and allergies,  respond positively to adequate levels of vitamin D.  

Low blood levels of vitamin D  are linked to to increased risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

COVID & Vitamin D Link

COVID-19 first gains entrance into the cells by attaching the ACE2 receptor.  If this receptor is unhealthy due to inflammation caused by some existing condition, the virus can cleave it off (remove it) and gain entrance into the cell.  Prevention of COVID is accomplished by keeping the ACE2 receptor healthy.  Vitamin D, in addition to vitamin A and C,  is effective in maintaining the health of the ACE2 receptor.

Once in the cell, COVID dramatically impacts the respiratory system by producing a cytokine storm (an over-production of cytokine proteins produced by the immune system response).  Vitamin D along with green tea, zinc and quercetin modulates the over-production of these cytokine proteins. 

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