High dose vitamin D supplementation is currently not beneficial for the prevention and treatment of cowid-19

Sars-cov-2 virus and covid-19 caused by sars-cov-2 virus continue to spread around the world. It is very important to save lives and slow down the spread of the disease. The World Health Organization (who) and a number of countries have issued recommendations to prevent the spread of cowid-19, mainly involving the key aspects of self isolation. It has been reported that high dose of vitamin D (> 4000iu / D) can reduce the risk of infection of covid-19 and is used to treat covid-19, but it has not been confirmed.

Recently, experts from Europe and the United States pointed out in a report that there is not enough evidence to prove that vitamin D can play a beneficial role in the treatment of covid-19, and high-dose vitamin D supplementation is not recommended. The relevant contents are published in BMJ nutrition, prevention & health. 

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which is regarded as a hormone precursor of calcium and phosphorus metabolism. It is closely related to sunlight, so it is also called "sunshine vitamin". Adequate levels of vitamin D in the body is very important for the overall health. Low levels of vitamin D in the body will lead to rickets and osteoporosis, but high levels of vitamin D will lead to increased calcium content in the blood and cause damage.

In this paper, through the investigation of previous studies in related fields, it is not found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is helpful to the prevention and treatment of covid-19. Because of the health risks, the authors warn against over supplementation of vitamin D without medical supervision. Because the benefits of vitamin D in the treatment of viral infections have not been confirmed in enough human studies.

Previous studies on the relationship between vitamin D levels and respiratory tract infections have found that lower vitamin D levels are associated with acute respiratory tract infections. However, these studies still have limitations, because most of the conclusions are based on the population data of developing countries. Due to the existence of external factors, they can not be extended to the population of developed countries. Although there is some evidence that low vitamin D levels are associated with acute respiratory infections, there is not enough evidence to prove that vitamin D can treat cvid-19.

However, good nutrition and lifestyle have a positive impact on immune function, can increase the ability of human resistance to infection. In view of the current prevalence of covid-19, vitamin D, as a key micronutrient, should be concerned rather than as a "panacea" for the treatment of covid-19. Since most vitamin D comes from sunlight, it is still a challenge for many people, especially those who are exposed to insufficient sunlight due to self isolation during the epidemic. Current UK guidelines recommend vitamin D supplementation. Evidence based recommendations to prevent vitamin D deficiency include:

➤ according to the national guidelines, vitamin D supplementation is recommended. Safe sunlight can improve the vitamin content. It is particularly important to supplement vitamin D during self isolation period with limited sunlight exposure.

➤ who recommends an appropriate diet and lifestyle, that is, maintaining adequate nutrition to protect the human immune system.

➤ the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union recommend that adult vitamin D intake (total intake of food and dietary supplements) should be limited to 4000 IU / D (100 μ g / D). The public should avoid high-dose vitamin D intake, and the total intake of all sources is not recommended to exceed this recommended level. 

In conclusion, we recommend to conduct randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on covid-19, but until there is sufficient scientific evidence, we do not recommend high-dose (> 4000 IU / D [100   μ g / D]) vitamin D supplementation, and support the suggestions of preventing vitamin D deficiency and preventing the spread of covid-19 proposed by various countries.

 

Cindy