People deficient in Vitamin D are 54 percent more likely to become infected with the COVID-19 virus, a new study finds.
The Boston University School of Medicine study of 190,000 people, published on September 17 in PLOS One, found a “strong” correlation between higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels and lower positivity rates for virus infection, especially among individuals who live in predominantly African-American and Hispanic ZIP codes.
“The simple and inexpensive intervention of taking vitamin D can significantly help reduce risk of infection by this deadly virus,” stated author Michael Holicke, M.D., Ph.D., in a media release.
The study defined deficiency as having blood levels of less than 20ng/ml.
The Endocrine Society states adults of normal weight can reach sufficient blood levels by receiving 1,000 to 1,500 IUs of vitamin D daily. Individuals who are obese may require two to three times that amount.
—Staff reports
Internet info:
Harvey Kaufman, Justin Niles, Martin Kroll, Caixia Bi, Michael Holick, “SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels,” PLOS One, September 17, 2020: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239252
