Vitamin D deficiency impacts mortality rates in Covid 19 patients

[QuietRiot]

It doesn't surprise me that governments don't' acknowledge this. Even corresponding CDC type organizations. But the United States has a 42% Vitamin D deficiency, and with it, a higher chance of death if you get the Covid 19.

 

The percentage of Vit D deficiency in Hispanics and African Americans are even higher due to them having darker skin (the inability to absorb Vit D). 

[Gaeta]

I think the problem is well beyond having Vitimine D deficiency. It's obesity, diebetes, high blood pressure, weak immune system, heart disease and name it. If you are morbidly obese with diebetes I doubt a shot of Vitamine D will make a difference.  Vitamine D is good for the heart and bones. A person that takes care of her/his health will eat properly, spend time outside, and take vitamines during the winter times like many of us do in nordic countries. 

[QuietRiot]

23 minutes ago, Gaeta said:

I think the problem is well beyond having Vitimine D deficiency. It's obesity, diebetes, high blood pressure, weak immune system, heart disease and name it. If you are morbidly obese with diebetes I doubt a shot of Vitamine D will make a difference.  Vitamine D is good for the heart and bones. A person that takes care of her/his health will eat properly, spend time outside, and take vitamines during the winter times like many of us do in nordic countries. 

Yes, to all those. I've known that for a time though. Maybe some good will come of all this...more health conscious people and such. It's kind of a tell-tale sign of that.

[elaine567]

It is its role in the immune system that is under the spotlight here.
People with Vit D deficiency are more susceptible to infections.
Problem is many many people are deficient in Vitamins D, not only those that end up with Covid-19.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups/.

[sothereiwas]

I found it interesting that D is synthesised from cholesterol. Maybe irrelevant but interesting. 

[Gaeta]

I read the American milk has vitamine D supplement since 1930.

[stillafool]

I'm African American and I have severe Vitamin D deficiency.  I had no idea until I had blood tests.  I was prescribed 25,000 units per week and I read somewhere recently that that still isn't enough.  I have light skin and spend a lot of time outdoors, I weight 138 and am 5'6.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause Rheumatoid Arthritis and I was diagnosed with a mild case a decade or so ago.  My heart is fine. I've always maintained a healthy diet and exercise so I guess all of this is attributed to my race.

[Gaeta]

Stillafood: Are there symtoms of Vitamine D deficiency?

[elaine567]

In the UK, there have been a disproportionate number of BAME (black, Asian or minority ethnic) deaths from the virus, and one possible factor being mentioned is VIt D deficiency.

[stillafool]

21 minutes ago, Gaeta said:

Stillafood: Are there symtoms of Vitamine D deficiency?

Actually after I starting taking it I became a lot more energetic and just a general feeling of being well.  I also noticed my hair got thicker.  Now if I miss a week without the 25,000 units I feel terrible where I never noticed this before being treated.

[QuietRiot]

24 minutes ago, stillafool said:

Actually after I starting taking it I became a lot more energetic and just a general feeling of being well.  I also noticed my hair got thicker.  Now if I miss a week without the 25,000 units I feel terrible where I never noticed this before being treated.

What are "units" equal to in mcg? (micrograms)?

[sothereiwas]

16 minutes ago, QuietRiot said:

What are "units" equal to in mcg? (micrograms)?

It's like the physics problem, expressed as spherical cows of unit size. 

[Ellener]

Covid-19 mortality is higher amongst seniors and so is D deficiency.

 

[stillafool]

29 minutes ago, QuietRiot said:

What are "units" equal to in mcg? (micrograms)?

I don't actually know.  I just looked at my Vit. D new bottle prescription and they upped it to 50,000IU (ERGO).  I don't know what that means but I take the pill once a week.

[CaliforniaGirl]

I think it makes sense to an extent...Vitamin D is actually a hormone precursor and a deficiency of it presents in a few different conditions, or seems to present fairly often in a few conditions, anyway, so if you have one or another preexisting issue you're already at higher risk for having a worse time of it with 19.

I have thyroid disease and am chronically D deficient even in an area of the nation that experiences more than 350 high-sun index days per year. That seems absolutely crazy but it's a thing. My doctor told me Vit D deficiency is common among thyroid disease patients. So that's one example.

Edited May 22, 2020 by CaliforniaGirl
clarification & phone spellings

[CaliforniaGirl]

3 hours ago, Gaeta said:

I read the American milk has vitamine D supplement since 1930.

Yes, our milk is supplemented with D.

[CaliforniaGirl]

4 hours ago, elaine567 said:

It is its role in the immune system that is under the spotlight here.
People with Vit D deficiency are more susceptible to infections.
Problem is many many people are deficient in Vitamins D, not only those that end up with Covid-19.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups/.

I think this (the bolded) is where things are getting muddy. Correlations where something may be a majority of either THE population, or of populations already at risk don't necessarily mean that preventatively taking supplements will protect populations not already at risk...if that makes sense.

People are just scrambling around right now like lunatics trying to find whatever they can to grab and try to prevent this thing...IMO...I'm a crazy person who listens to doctors with concentrations in the fields of study relevant to each area in question...I try to keep a cool head and overlook Facebook memes and rushes to "eureka! This is definitely it" and wait for solid backup. I don't think supplements of certain kinds could hurt, really, at least in non-crazy amounts. So there's that. JMO.

[sothereiwas]

2 hours ago, Ellener said:

Covid-19 mortality is higher amongst seniors and so is D deficiency.

Some research suggests that low D also might contribute to higher cholesterol, although the precise mechanism wasn't identified last I looked. One theory is that since D is synthesised from cholesterol there might be a feedback loop that triggers higher cholesterol if the levels of D are too low. 

[preraph]

I have always drank plenty of milk, and I was still deficient in vitamin d. Sun is still the best source for it. 

 

I've been on lots of vitamin d for a few years now. I couldn't tell any difference from when I wasn't taking it, though. I mean whatever boost it might give you energy-wise will be overtaken by simple aging over the next year. 

 

I get a boost from emergen-c packets but only if taken twice a day, a noticeable boost in energy. And since I've been taking it I have not had a bad cold fully develop but just things start and peter out. But it does no good to take it once you already have something and are sick. You either need to kind of stay on it or the first little sign of anything coming, take it twice a day for three days and see if it helps quelch it.

 

What is in the Emergen-c packets that gives you a boost is the vitamin B. 

 

I imagine any sort of deficiency even down to not eating enough or getting enough nutrients will take its toll on you once you catch a severe illness. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by preraph

[Foxhall]

the main problem with vitamin d intake is that the recommended daily allowances are well below what may be necessary before it is effective as an immune booster,

people from the natural health field would recommend doses as high as 4000 international units per day, which are manufactured by companies like Solgar,

it probably needs to be taken in that quantity at least for 30-45 days initially to build up levels in the bloodstream.

 

[QuietRiot]

6 minutes ago, preraph said:

I have always drank plenty of milk, and I was still deficient in vitamin d. Sun is still the best source for it. 

 

I've been on lots of vitamin d for a few years now. I couldn't tell any difference from when I wasn't taking it, though. I mean whatever boost it might give you energy-wise will be overtaken by simple aging over the next year. 

 

I get a boost from emergen-c packets but only if taken twice a day, a noticeable boost in energy. And since I've been taking it I have not had a bad cold fully develop but just things start and peter out. But it does no good to take it once you already have something and are sick. You either need to kind of stay on it or the first little sign of anything coming, take it twice a day for three days and see if it helps quelch it.

 

What is in the Emergen-c packets that gives you a boost is the vitamin B. 

 

I imagine any sort of deficiency even down to not eating enough or getting enough nutrients will take its toll on you once you catch a severe illness. 

Most Americans, unfortunately, tend to eat out rather frequently. They aren't much for cooking for themselves, thus the lack of whole foods. Cripes, I don't think I can not find a single co-worker that don't have a soda in their hand (ie - Mtn Dew) or a coffee soused up with tons of cream and liquid sugar in their latte's. We can go on and on about how America eats unhealthy and I can say this SHOULD be a wake-up call and a motivator to eat healthy. But...people aren't much for changing their behaviors. I mean...if they won't wear masks...they won't give up that Moutain Dew.

Edited May 22, 2020 by QuietRiot

[QuietRiot]

7 minutes ago, Foxhall said:

the main problem with vitamin d intake is that the recommended daily allowances are well below what may be necessary before it is effective as an immune booster,

people from the natural health field would recommend doses as high as 4000 international units per day, which are manufactured by companies like Solgar,

it probably needs to be taken in that quantity at least for 30-45 days initially to build up levels in the bloodstream.

 

I'm not sure what units are. But it is recommended during this event to take between 25 to 50 micrograms of Vit D.  I use Standard Process.

Addressing the bolded...I've reached that point now.

To clear this all up...

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by QuietRiot

[preraph]

3 minutes ago, QuietRiot said:

Most Americans, unfortunately, tend to eat out rather frequently. They aren't much for cooking for themselves, thus the lack of whole foods. Cripes, I don't think I can not find a single co-worker that don't have a soda in their hand (ie - Mtn Dew) or a coffee soused up with tons of cream and liquid sugar in their latte's. We can go on and on about how America eats unhealthy and I can say this SHOULD be a wake-up call and a motivator to eat healthy. But...people aren't much for changing their behaviors. I mean...if they won't wear masks...they won't give up that Moutain Dew.

Oh I don't eat healthy or pretend to!  I have to say though that I know a couple of people who have eaten whole foods and a lot healthier than me for as long as I've known them who are dealing with just as many serious health problems as I am at an older age than they are. I believe most of it is genetic. Our bodies do adapt to our diets you know to a certain extent. 

[QuietRiot]

Just now, preraph said:

Oh I don't eat healthy or pretend to!  I have to say though that I know a couple of people who have eaten whole foods and a lot healthier than me for as long as I've known them who are dealing with just as many serious health problems as I am at an older age than they are. I believe most of it is genetic. Our bodies do adapt to our diets you know to a certain extent. 

Well, the outlier there is that it's a genetic situation. 

Old saying, "Garbage in, garbage out". 😉

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, preraph said:

Sun is still the best source for it. 

 

I put together a program last year for older seniors with dementia, and we looked at sun exposure and did include a daily walk outside if possible as part of daily activities, but some of the seniors were too sensitive their skin or their body temp regulation ( meds or their disease ) and the nurses told me they were getting D supplements.