A study carried out by researchers at the University of Bar Ilan in Israel has concluded that adequate levels of vitamin D in the body, also known as the vitamin of the sun, can help combat COVID-19 more effectively and quickly, reducing the chances of hospitalization.
Study reveals that vitamin D helps fight COVID-19 and reduces hospitalization
Vitamin D is recognized as an important adjuvant factor in various physical processes related to bone metabolism and calcium, as well as in the treatment of various diseases, including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity and others.
More recently, several studies have suggested that vitamin D is also an important factor in the development of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, better known as COVID-19.
Led by Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgensen, director of the Biocomputing Laboratory for Complex Diseases at Bar Ilan University in collaboration with Leumit Health Services, the study set out to investigate if there was a real basis for the suggestions heard during the pandemic on the use of vitamin D.
The Bar Ilán study was based on real data from 782 patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 and 7,025 who had tested negative. The results, published in the FEBS Journal indicated that a low level of vitamin D in the blood is an independent risk factor for infection and hospitalization for COVID-19.
Low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of COVID-19 and hospitalization, study says
Inadequate vitamin D levels may be a risk factor for contracting COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization according to research led by Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern of Tel Aviv University.
The study found that those with vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood were more likely to test positive for COVID-19 and need hospitalization compared to those with adequate vitamin D levels.
The results showed that the average vitamin D level in those who tested positive was in the “inadequate” range while the average level in those who tested negative was in the “adequate” range according to international parameters.
In particular, the count of people in the study who required hospitalization after testing positive showed vitamin D levels below 17 nanograms per milliliter of blood. In addition, those over 50 with low vitamin D levels were twice as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to people of a similar age with adequate vitamin D levels.
People aged 25 to 49 years with low vitamin D levels were also 1.45 times more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19 compared to their peers with adequate vitamin D levels.
Although more research is needed to determine the causal relationship, the results of the study suggest that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may be important to prevent COVID-19 and reduce the need for hospitalization in the event of infection.
Vitamin D deficiency and its impact on the fight against COVID-19
How to increase your levels effectively?
Vitamin D deficiency is a global concern with approximately 1 billion people affected worldwide, according to a recent study.
It is estimated that 50 percent of the world’s population suffers from a deficiency of this essential vitamin. Dr. Shira Frenkel-Morgenstern, the study’s lead researcher, emphasizes that vitamin D does not prevent the contraction of the coronavirus but it does strengthen the body’s ability to fight it once the infection occurs.
Dr. Frenkel-Morgenstern urgently calls for public health policies that focus on increasing vitamin D levels in the population. It highlights that lockdowns have contributed to low levels of vitamin D which puts people at risk since exposure to sunlight is the main source of absorption of this vitamin.
In conclusion, rapid action is needed to increase vitamin D levels and improve overall public health.
