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Get some sunshine and eat vitamin D-rich foods to reduce risk of COVID-19 death

Get some sunshine and eat vitamin D-rich foods to reduce risk of COVID-19 death
If you’re not getting enough sunlight, make sure you eat more foods rich in vitamin D or take supplements.

Patients who were vitamin D sufficient were more than 50 per cent less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to patients who were vitamin D deficient, according to a new study.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : September 28, 2020 9:00 AM IST

Vitamin D is not only essential for maintaining healthy bones but also plays a pivotal role in the function of your immune system. Various studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of respiratory infections, including the deadly COVID-19. Low vitamin D levels were found in many severe COVID-19 patients, suggesting that lack of the sunshine vitamin may increase your risk of complications from the disease.

A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE has added to the growing body of evidence that being Vitamin D sufficient may reduce your risk of complications and death from Covid-19. The authors from the Boston University in the US found that hospitalised Covid-19 patients who were vitamin D sufficient, with a blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of at least 30 ng/mL, were 51.5 per cent less likely to die from the infection compared to patients who were vitamin D deficient.

In addition, Covid-19 patients who had sufficient vitamin D levels had lower blood levels of an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein) and higher blood levels of lymphocytes (a type of immune cell to help fight infection).

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This study also provides direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can prevent cytokine storm (release of too many proteins into the blood too quickly) and ultimately death from Covid-19, the authors noted.

Studies linking vitamin D deficiency to COVID-19 death

Earlier this month, a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open had suggested that vitamin D deficiency may raise the risk of getting novel coronavirus.

In May, a study published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research had linked low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries. The researchers explained that as older adults are usually deficient in vitamin D, they are most seriously affected by COVID-19. According to them, vitamin D can prevent white blood cells from releasing too many inflammatory cytokines, which is associated with COVID-19.

Another study by researchers at UChicago Medicine looked at COVID-19 patients whose vitamin D levels were measured within a year before being tested positive for the viral disease. Surprisingly, patients who had vitamin D deficiency were almost twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 when compared to those who had the necessary levels of the vitamin in their bodies.

How you can increase vitamin D intake during the pandemic

Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. So, it is important to get some sunlight every day. If you're not getting enough sunlight, make sure you eat more foods rich in vitamin D or take supplements. Here are some foods that contain vitamin D.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the best plant source of vitamin D. Like humans, mushrooms also synthesize vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, wild mushrooms contain more vitamin D than commercially grown mushrooms, which are often grown in the dark.

Salmon

Wild salmon is better than farmed ones when it comes to vitamin D content. While wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average.

Sardines

This small fish that is available as raw, canned, smoked, or pickled is one of the best sources of vitamin D. Eat more sardines during the pandemic to raise your vitamin D levels and prevent respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

Egg Yolks

Some people can't bear the smell of fish. If you're one of them, eat eggs instead. While the white portion contains mostly protein, the yellow yolk contains most of the fat, vitamins, and minerals. One typical egg yolk can provide 37 IU of vitamin D.