Some evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation plays a key role in reducing the risk of virus infections such as the Covid-19. One of the mechanisms that vitamin D uses to reduce infections include stimulating cathelicidins which are polypeptides that inhibit the formation of resistive bacterial or microorganism encasement. The importance of vitamin D in the immune response cannot be overlooked. Vitamin D has been shown by several evidenced-based research to modulate T-cell response and has anti-inflammatory properties that help boost innate immune responses by inducing the human gene for cathelicidin. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase risks of cancers, autoimmune, infectious diseases, and hypertension. Evidenced-based studies has shown the link between supplementation with oral vitamin D and increased cathelicidin expression thereby leading to the build-up of the innate immune system to fight infections such as the Covid-19 (Tissa et al,2008).
The mechanism and correlation of how vitamin D helps in the inflammatory response to infections include stimulating cathelicidins which helps lower viral replication rates. These cathelicidins play a key role in reducing the concentration of pro-inflammatory proteins that produce the inflammation that causes injuries to the lungs. The inflammatory changes produced by these proteins result in injuries to the lungs that ultimately lead to viral respiratory infections such as in the case of the Covid-19. While some studies have shown the positive impact of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the risk of viral infections such as influenza, while other studies have not. But evidence point to the impact of supplementation of vitamin D in reducing the risk of developing Covid-19 during winter, which is a time when 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are lowest. Evidence also points to vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome. Lower levels of vitamin D are found in people who are older and therefore are at increase risk of developing infections and increases the rate of mortality with these infections. People who have chronic illnesses and other comorbidities are at risk of lower vitamin D.
It is recommended to take about 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 to reduce the risk of developing infections such as the Covid-19.
Written by Tessy
Reference
Hata, T.R., Kotol, P., Jackson, M., Yamasaki, K., Alexandrescu, D., Galo, R.L., Udall, D., Nguyen, M., Paik, A., & Kanada, K (2008).Administration of oral vitamin D induces cathelicidin production in atopic Individuals. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology vol 122 (40) p 829-831 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2008.08.020
Grant, W.B., Lahore, H., McDonnell, S.L., Baggerly C.A., French C.B., Aliano, J.L., & Bhattoa, H.P (2020). Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Nutrients. 12(4):988. doi: 10.3390/nu12040988. PMID: 32252338; PMCID: PMC7231123.