“If vitamin D was low, it was correlated with severe disease and mortality in an independent manner. We know that people who had low vitamin D died more,” said Amir Bashkin, the director of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit at GMC.
‘Only 3% of the people who had higher levels of vitamin D died due to COVID-19. Sufficient levels of this vitamin also help reduce the inflammation of the body during the period of infections.’
What makes Vitamin-D super powerful?
Vitamin-D is a well-known immunomodulator that supports the immune system in fighting against any kind of infection. This sunshine vitamin can also help reduce inflammation in the body by regulating the over-production of self-destructing pro-inflammatory cytokines of our immune system.
Can the deficiency of vitamin D make you vulnerable to COVID-induced death?
After analyzing the data collected during the study period, the team reported that 26% of the people who had vitamin D of 20 ng/mL died compared to the 3% of the people who had it in higher levels. Hence, they recommend maintaining an adequate vitamin D level, especially if the patient is older.
It is also important to note that a previous study conducted by doctors of Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) highlighted that people with vitamin-D levels of more than 55 ng/ml were less likely even to contract COVID-19. The findings also showed that the mortality was almost nil when people with vitamin-D levels of 60mg/ml developed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Although the study does not correlate the cause of death and vitamin-D deficiency, Amiel Dror, the lead author of the study, said, “If you are going to encounter Covid-19 next time, perhaps in a next wave, you better have a sufficient level of vitamin D in your body,” emphasizing the need for a proper diet plan during pandemic times.
The findings of the study were published in a peer-reviewed journal, The Jerusalem Post.
Source: Medindia
