My oncologist has me taking about 6000 units a day to stay in the range she likes, though recently I’m been less inclined to follow her sunblock-at-all-times advice, so I may reduce the dose.
I’ve jumped on the vitamin D bandwagon, and I’m taking 2000 units/day, as well as trying to get some daily sun. As others have said, it’s safe, it’s not expensive, and it might help. It might help with a lot of things, actually, not just covid.
Weirdly, it’s become REALLY hard to find vitamin C for sale, but there still seems to be plenty of Vitamin D available. I think both are pretty cheap to make, but I suppose there are lots of market disruptions.
If one expects to get Vitamin D by mixing skin + sun, is that affected by using sunscreen?
Yes. Sunscreen blocks the UV that makes Vit D. If you go outside, try waiting for 15 or 20 minutes before putting on the sunscreen.
I watched this video a couple weeks ago by Ivor Cummings, he says that not being deficient in vitamin D is good, but there’s more to it than that. He mentions that if you’re eating nutrient dense food that contains vitamin D (like meat) and you’re avoiding insulin resistance and inflammatory conditions and getting enough sun without burning as well as taking vitamin D supplements, you’re better off than just taking vitamin D supplements alone. On the [NJ page for Covid-19](https://maps.arcgis.com/apps/hey /index.html?appid=c2efd1898e48452e83d7218329e953d7) the demographics for co-morbidities show that people who have heart disease and diabetes have a higher mortality rate for Covid-19. The video shows that after correcting for co-morbidities people who are deficient in Vitamin D are still more likely to have a severe versus a mild case if they catch it.
It’s a good idea to supplement Vitamin D, it’s a better idea to make lifestyle changes if you need to.
I don’t think that anyone can possibly argue otherwise. My doctor is a crusty old dude who tells it like it is. When he told me about the low Vitamin D, I asked how many units I should take from a supplement. He said, “Supplement? I prescribe you to stand outside with your shirt off for 30 minutes a day!”
One possible correlation is that sun exposure not only increases vitamin D, but the UV radiation may kill the virus that may be on your exposed skin or clothing, reducing viral loads if you are infected or preventing infection at all.
I haven’t yet seen a study that analyses vitamin D and covid and takes into account the underlying conditions that affect vitamin D levels and make you more vulnerable to coronavirus. I have a lower vitamin D level due to rheumatoid arthritis, and am more susceptible to coronavirus due to the medication I take for RA; lots of people with long-term health conditions go outside less so have lower vitamin D levels; and it’s associated with dozens of other conditions that make you more likely to suffer complications from coronavirus. So there are a lot of correlations to take into account.
However, unless you really overdose, it’s only going to be good for you to take vitamin D supplements or try to get a little more sunshine - not so long that you increase your skin cancer risk, of course.
In the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has advised those staying indoors for most of the day to take a 10micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D3 supplement daily. I take one anyway and have been giving a vitamin supplement to my otherwise healthy adult daughter because she’s getting no sun at all.
Like others said, we don’t get most of our vitamin D through our diet. Besides, most vegans I know take supplements because some B vitamins really are difficult to obtain via a vegan diet. In general, vegans are no more likely than anyone else to be deficient in vitamin D. (Cite).
(BTW sorry Emily Litella because that was a really good post, but I don’t like watching youtube videos about health-related topics - I need cites to published papers).
No problem, I understand, it does say it’s a pre-release study outcome.
Yes. I didn’t take a D supplement but did use 50 SPF sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses on the Camino de Santiago last summer. After walking 500 miles in the summer sun, I returned home with low D levels–a triumph of a sort.
Of course.
My “sunscreen” is usually a long-sleeved short and a broad-brimmed hat. I’ve been trying to make a point to spend a little time with my skin exposed to the sun. Not so much time as to burn, of course. But people who burn easily don’t need much time in the sun to generate vitamin D. That’s pretty much WHY people closer to the equator are darker than those closer to the poles – to balance the need for vitamin D with the need for protection from over-exposure.
Thanks for all the information everyone. Admittedly my OP was a little short on information. Thanks for filling in the holes.
My doctors have me taking 5000 IU of D3 daily, along with monthly B12 shots and other supplements. Of course I’m a special case due to my short bowel.