People with low vitamin D levels are 7% more likely to catch coronavirus – and the risk doubles for black people who do not have ‘sunshine vitamin’, the study finds
- Study of Chicago University among ore than 4600 people found that those with low vitamin D levels 7% more likely to test positive for COVID-19
- Black people with low vitamin D levels were 2.6 times more likely to test positive
- It does not prove that vitamin D infection occurs, but does play a critical role in the functioning of the immune system
- Elderly and black people usually have low vitamin D levels and both are at increased risk for COVID-19
People with higher vitamin D levels in their bloodstream are at a lower risk of developing COVID-19, a new study indicates.
And it seems that vitamin levels have a particularly strong effect on black people, who are at greater risk for both vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 than white people.
In fact, black people with vitamin D levels between 30 and 40 ng / ml were 2.64 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, University of Chicago researchers found.
Vitamin D – the ‘sunshine vitamin’ – plays a critical role in a healthy functioning immune system and is mainly absorbed by the skin.
The new study may not prove that using enough vitamin D will protect people against coronavirus, but it does suggest that drinking enough vitamin D can help reduce the risk of getting it – especially for black people who almost three times as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and twice as likely to die from it.
A growing study suggests that vitamin D may help protect people against COVID-19, and a new study shows that people with low levels are 7.2% more at risk of having COVID-19 – and black people are 2, 6 times more at risk if they have vitamin D deficiency
In their study of 4,368 people in Chicago, the researchers found that those with blood levels lower than 40 ng / ml had a higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19.
How much ‘enough’ vitamin D is is the subject of ongoing debate among scientists.
Most nutritionists say that someone is deficient when their blood levels drop below 40 or 30 ng / ml.
“These new results tell us that the fact that vitamin D levels are higher than those normally considered adequate is associated with a reduced risk of testing positive for COVID-19, at least in black people,” says Dr. David Meltzer, head of hospital medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine and lead author of the study.
“It supports arguments for designing clinical trials that could test whether vitamin D could be a viable intervention to reduce the risk of the disease, especially in coloreds.”
The average level varies depending on various factors, including where people live and how much time they spend outside.
It also varies with race.
Sun rays are our main source of vitamin D. When sunshine hits our skin, it produces the vitamin, unlike most of the vitamins we absorb through our diet.
People who have more melanin – a compound that gives the pigmentation of the skin – do not make vitamin D as effective in sunlight.
While the right level of vitamin D is under debate, the study found that black Americans with anything below 40 ng / ml have an increased risk of COVID-19 (center (
The same trait that makes people with darker skin – such as black or Latinx people – less vulnerable to health problems such as skin cancer, therefore also puts them at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.
A diet rich in oily fish such as salmon, red meat or egg yolks can help increase vitamin D levels. Some ranges, milk and fruit juice are also enriched with the vitamin, and numerous supplements can be found on pharmacy shelves.
Vitamin D is especially known for its role in strengthening bones by helping the body use calcium.
But it also plays a role in the immune system.
Vitamin D loads white blood cells that patrol the bloodstream and is one of the first lines of defense against infection by bacteria and viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
It can also be important in COVID-19 because vitamin D reduces inflammation, which often gets out of control in COVID-19 patients.