***Author’s Note: Even though this article may get censored by G-O-O-G-L-E or other internet powers-that-be (as several of my articles have in recent months), because it “may” contradict what the WHO & CDC are saying with regards to coronavirus: I find that the information & studies I’ve been reading lately are TOO COMPELLING not to share.  The hypothesis we’re working with here is: Is Vitamin D the missing link re: COVID-19??

Is Vitamin D the Missing Link with COVID-19?

The other night, I listened to Joe Rogan’s podcast interview with Dr. Rhonda Patrick about the possible link between Vitamin D deficiency & COVID-19 mortality.  For those of you who don’t know who these people are: Joe Rogan has basically the #1 podcast in the world, which gets about 190 million downloads per month; while Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a PhD American biochemist who’s conducted extensive research on aging, cancer, & nutrition ~ including groundbreaking studies on how vitamin & mineral deficiencies affect our overall health.  This interview was one of the most exciting & hopeful things I’ve listened to regarding the coronavirus. 

And let this fact sink in: 

A study of 780 COVID-19 patients in Indonesia found that 98.9% of patients who died of COVID-19 were deficient in Vitamin D. 

 

Let me repeat that: 98.9% of patients who died in Indonesia were deficient in Vitamin D. 

Joe Rogan Interview with Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Studies on Vitamin D & COVID-19

Please, DO NOT take my word regarding these findings: do your own research!!  Every study mentioned in this article is linked here ~ simply click on the link to access the raw data yourself.

• A study in the Philippines of 212 patients with COVID-19 showed these findings: patients with higher levels of Vitamin D were 8X more likely to have a mild case of the virus, & 20X more likely to NOT have a severe case of COVID-19.  Quoting directly from the study: “Vitamin D status is significantly associated with clinical outcomes. Vitamin D supplementation could possibly improve clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19. Further research should conduct randomized controlled trials & large population studies to evaluate this recommendation.” 
• A study of 780 COVID-19 patients in Indonesia called, Patterns of COVID-19 Mortality and Vitamin D: An Indonesian Study, found that 98.9% of patients who died of COVID-19 were deficient in Vitamin D (meaning a level less than 20 nanograms/milliliter).  But here’s something that’s also quite disturbing: 87.8% of Vitamin D insufficient cases died also (insufficient = 21-29 ng/mL).  And here’s the good data: Only 4.1% of cases with normal Vitamin D levels died (normal = above 30 ng/mL). Quoted directly from the study: “Vitamin D has been proven to enhance expression of antioxidation-related genes, modulates adaptive immunity, & improves cellular immunity.  With the remarkable potential of Vitamin D, several researchers proposed Vitamin D supplementation could possibly treat COVID-19 or reduce severity, at least.”  

***Take-away from Indonesian study: For maximum protection against COVID-19 & other viruses, you want your Vitamin D level to be above 30 ng/mL.

• One more interesting finding from the Indonesia study, that mirrors the Philippines study: they found that patients who were Vitamin D deficient were approximately 19.12 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than patients with normal Vitamin D levels.  The Vitamin D factor proved more statistically significant than age (patients over 50 were 10X more likely to die than younger patients), sex (male cases were 6X more likely to die than female cases), or even pre-existing conditions (11X more likely to die if they had a pre-existing condition).

***Further take-away: You cannot control your age or your sex ~ but you CAN control your Vitamin D level, either by getting natural sunlight or by taking a supplement!!

• A small study was conducted at Louisiana State University on April 24th, 2020, on their COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit.  Of these patients, 84% were Vitamin D insufficient.  But here’s the really interesting part: of those patients who were under 75 years old, 100% were Vitamin D insufficient.  Their study’s conclusion: “VDI (Vitamin D insufficiency) is highly prevalent in severe COVID-19 patients. VDI & severe COVID-19 share numerous associations including hypertension, obesity, male sex, advanced age, concentration in northern climates, coagulopathy, & immune dysfunction. Thus, we suggest that prospective, randomized controlled studies of VDI in COVID-19 patients are warranted.” 

**Author’s Note: I originally provided links to all the studies mentioned here ~ but unfortunately, they started causing “Error Messages.”  So I would encourage you to look up the studies on your own, to corroborate their findings.

How to Get More Vitamin D & How to Test for It

According to Dr. Rhonda Patrick, “70% of the U.S. population has insufficient Vitamin D levels.”  And oddly, studies also show that people with darker skin, such as African-Americans & Latinos, are actually at higher risk for having lower Vitamin D levels due to high amounts of melanin in their skin, which reduces the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D from the sun.

Could simple sunshine be the answer to building our immune systems & overcoming viruses?

Though Vitamin D is found in a few foods (salmon, sardines, tuna, egg yolks, fortified milk) ~ the best way to get it is by sunlight.  You don’t need to sunbathe: simply getting between 5-30 minutes of natural sunlight several times per week is enough for most people ~ possibly longer for those with darker skin.  But the key is: you need to expose some parts of your body without sunscreen, as sunscreen blocks Vitamin D absorption. 

If you don’t want to be in the sun, no problem: take a Vitamin D supplement.  There are many good ones; my mom takes Naturewise Vitamin D3 5,000 IU (a one-year supply costs you a whopping $14.95) as recommended by her doctor, & she took herself from an insufficient Vitamin D level to an excellent level of 47.  Because here’s the key: if you’re currently insufficient, taking 400 IU’s per day won’t increase your Vitamin D level quickly enough ~ only a higher dosage like 4,000-5,000 IU will. 

Dr. Rhonda Patrick takes 5,000 IU’s per day, & says that the chances of “overdosing” on Vitamin D are very low.  The best way to determine how much to take is to get a Vitamin D test ~ either through your doctor, or you can even take an online Vitamin D test via companies like Everlywell (I’ve taken their food sensitivity test & found that their results matched tests taken by my doctor).  You take a blood sample yourself & send it off to their lab, usually receiving results back within 10 days.

Vitamin D3 + K2

$19.95

Is Vitamin D the Missing Link with COVID-19?

The good news: based on all these early studies, more & more research is being conducted on Vitamin D as a possible treatment for not only COVID-19 ~ but viruses of all kinds.  Because as Dr. Rhonda says, there is a direct link between Vitamin D levels & respiratory health (based on the vitamin’s level to affect & strengthen receptors in our lungs). 

But in the meantime, what could it possibly hurt to  increase your Vitamin D level??  What could it hurt to get a little more SUNSHINE (vs. being locked up in your home 24-7)??  As always, I strongly encourage everyone to do their own research; talk to your doctor. 

But I know what I’m doing after this….& yes, it involves getting outside!

xoxo Noelia

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