Vitamin D Protects Against COVID – New Evidence
February 2, 2023
A message from Dr. Plotnikoff:
The evidence supporting vitamin D supplementation for COVID protection is now stronger than ever.
Two highly reputable articles have just been published that affirm the importance of vitamin D in this time of COVID.
The first, just published in late January 2023, is a powerful analysis of five randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation:
The authors performed a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) to assess the protective role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with COVID-19.
The data demonstrated that vitamin D administration resulted in a 51% decreased risk of death and 72% decreased risk of ICU admission (standardized mean difference (95% CI): 0.49 (0.34–0.72) and 0.28 (0.20–0.39), respectively).
The second article then affirms the findings in this very large observational study from November 2022:
Association between vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 infection and mortality
The population studied was the VA medical system’s patients (220,265 patients supplemented with vitamin D3, 34,710 supplemented with vitamin D2, and 407,860 untreated patients).
The study found that in the population of U.S. veterans mortality within 30 days of COVID-19 infection was 33% lower with vitamin D3 (per prescription fills) (D3 HR = 0.67, [95% CI 0.59, 0.75]”.
“When we extrapolate our results for vitamin D3 supplementation to the entire U.S. population in 2020, there would have been approximately 4 million fewer COVID-19 cases and 116,000 deaths avoided.”
It was even in January of 2021 that the former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, pleaded in writing, “Don’t let COVID-19 patients die with vitamin deficiency— We can’t wait for perfect evidence.”
However, we did not act.
But it’s not too late.
My plea to you. Please do take your vitamin D daily.
Think 1,000 IUs for every 40 pounds of body weight as a general guide.
Are you low?… How do you know?
Please consider having your level measured. Ask your physician.
And please share this information with your family, friends, neighbors, work colleagues, and more.
As always, wishing you the very best of health,
Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP
Founder & Medical Director
Minnesota Personalized Medicine
