A randomized study conducted with a sampling of Covid 19 patients in Spain and the Philippines revealed that mega doses of vitamin D3 reduced the risk of patients needing hospitalization due to Covid-19. In other words, vitamin doses eliminated the need for ICU admission by 96%. These results show that vitamin D3, in addition to other factors, can be a potential tool in treating Covid-19. In fact, further studies show that low levels of vitamin D3 relate to high levels of death from Covid-19.
The conclusion is that if you are treating Covid 19 with high doses of vitamin D3, why not give moderately high doses of vitamin D3 to prevent Covid 19?
Vitamin D was discovered around 1920 – at the same time as Vitamin A. However, vitamin D3 is not a vitamin but is a precursor of a hormone because of how the body uses this “vitamin.” Few of us understand why vitamin D3 is a critical tool in treating diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and even Covid-19. Yet, in today’s world, almost 1 billion people are vitamin D3 deficient.
Vitamin D and Sunlight
Studies concerning vitamin D3 show that cancer, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart health, and neurodegenerative disease need vitamin D to improve outcomes. However, autoimmune disease, in particular, is susceptible to low vitamin D levels.
Your body converts vitamins to a form of itself after sunlight touches the skin, and that substance is moved through the bloodstream to other organs. So, if your hormones are low, you most certainly have low vitamin D levels.
Today, we find that because we do not spend a great deal of time outside in the sun, without sunscreen protection anyway, we are low in vitamin D3. Studies who that today the main sources of vitamins are fish liver oils like cod liver oil, cooked wild salmon as well as mackerel, sardines, and even eggs. If you can’t spend time at the beach or eat 30 oz of wild salmon a day or down about 10 tablespoons of cod liver oil a day, you need to take vitamin D supplements.
Covid-19 and Vitamin D3
In 2019, the severity of Covid-19 was determined by the presence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and diseases involving underlying respiratory problems and inflammation. Studies have proven that T regulatory lymphocytes provide defense against uncontrolled inflammation, and low T regulatory levels have been seen in many COVID-19 patients. These levels can be increased by vitamin D3 supplements and may help to decrease the impact of COVID-19.
- Vitamin D3 and Age
It was once thought that vitamin D3 insufficiency was mainly in children. Now, we realize older adults are at high risk for vitamin deficiency. In a recent study, it was written that vitamin deficiency may contribute to muscle weakness, osteoporosis, hip fractures, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and poor health in general.
Vitamin D3 helps to fight off these diseases and is also important for nerve function. Sources of vitamin D3 are:
- Foods like cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.
- Sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D for seniors. Sunlight converts cholesterol to vitamin D3.
- Supplements help slow down the aging process, reduce the risk of fractures, and promote general health. You need to take these supplements every day.
- Absorption
Vitamin D3 is in a class of fat-soluble vitamins – vitamin E and vitamin K. In other words, it is important that you consume fat when you take supplements of vitamin D to get optimal absorption. Fats you can take with vitamin D3 include avocados, nuts, seeds, and even full-fat dairy products.
Not all vitamin D3 supplements are created equal. There are documentaries on the topic of over-the-counter supplements and scams. Because the nutritional supplement industry is not governed by the FDA, you are not getting in each pill what the bottle says you should. We have compounding pharmacies make our supplement that includes vitamin D3. By having a pharmacy make it, it falls under the pharmacy guideline, which means each pill is required to have the amount the bottle says it does. Just like prescription medication.
The ideal hours of the day to absorb vitamins from sunlight are between 10 am and 3 pm anywhere in the world. In times past, people spent a great deal of time outdoors soaking up the sun while they worked or played. Unfortunately, today we spend most of our time indoors, and when we are out in the sun, we cover up or put on sunscreen. Because of this, almost 1 billion people have low vitamin D3, including 70% of children.
“Stand in the sun and look at your shadow. If your shadow is longer than you are, then you will not be able to take vitamin D in through the skin and transfer it into an active hormone.” ~Dr. Cory Rice
- Receptors
It is important to understand that most organs in the body have vitamin receptors. Because of this, vitamin D3 regulates many of the organs. However, some people have vitamin polymorphism where your receptors do not work well. This receptor problem is seen in those with autoimmune diseases, especially those who have Hashimoto’s disease.
The vitamin D3 receptor is located in the nucleus of the receptor cell, and the vitamin D3 that attaches to this receptor does not take hold and work. Therefore, these people need much higher vitamin D3 supplementation to get the full value of vitamin D.
- Vitamin D and Diabetes
In the next 20 years, one in three people will be diagnosed with diabetes. Today one in three people have insulin resistance or too much sugar circulating in their system. Insulin resistance is the first step in developing diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Studies have found that vitamin receptor cells are located in the cells in the pancreatic system, and insulin resistance may mean resistance to vitamin D. The conclusion is? If you take enough vitamin D3, you can improve your blood sugars. Studies in diabetes journals are showing if you supplement enough D3, you can start repairing that entire cascade. The conclusion is vitamin D3 is vital to diabetic treatment.
- Gene expression.
Gene expression is how we “turn on” our genes. Our genes make up what we are going to feel, what we will be, and what disease tendencies we may have. For example, it’s been found that D3 is a hormone, a steroid hormone, that regulates up to 5% of our human genomes. In addition, studies have shown that if, as a healthy adult, you have enough vitamins, it regulates up to 291 genes in your white blood cells.
In 2013, a published study concluded that improving vitamin D levels affected the expression of genes to have a biological function in more than 160 paths linking cancer, autoimmune disease, and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin also activates nerve two that is in charge of your internal defense system and keeps us from aging and accumulating damage in the cells that damage our DNA.
The answer to many diseases, aging, and issues, is to supplement diets.
Lessen aging, control the effects of diseases, and increase your vitality. Contact Medical Weight Loss and Hormone Clinic at medicalweightlossutah.com or call at 801-393-8586.
