Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for humans. Most people are aware of it’s important role in maintaining strong bones but it also has a vital role in the IMMUNE SYSTEM. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we need effective immune defences more than ever. However, vitamin D deficiency is very common and most people are not even aware that their vitamin D levels are low.
Vitamin D and the Immune System
Lymphocytes are immune cells responsible for recognising infection and producing antibodies. Lymphocytes have vitamin D receptors within them and when vitamin D binds to them, it regulates genes responsible for immune cell growth and differentiation. So without vitamin D, the immune cells cant grow or form new immune cells.
Vitamin D and Covid-19
There appears to be a link between vitamin D deficiency and an increase in incidence of covid-19 infection. In addition, low vitamin D is associated with more severe disease. There are often other factors to consider in patients with low vitamin D but it is feasible that the link is down to a poorly functioning immune system. There is ongoing research into vitamin D levels and covid,
Vitamin D Intake
We get vitamin D from two sources. Firstly, we get around 10% from our diet. Vitamin D is found in oily fish, red meat, egg yolks and breakfast cereals that are fortified with it. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it needs to be taken with food containing fat to be absorbed properly. Once absorbed in our small intestine, it is stored in our fat cells until it is needed by our body. People with intestinal problems like Crohns or coeliacs can have problems absorbing vitamin D.
The majority of our vitamin D however, is absorbed through our skin with the help of UVB from sunlight. Unfortunately, we don’t get a whole lot of sunshine in Scotland and to make matters worse, from late September to late March, UVB can’t penetrate through the earth’s atmosphere (due to the earth’s tilt on its normal axis). And no UVB means no vitamin D from your skin.
By mid winter, many of us have low vitamin D stores (insufficiency) and by late winter, many have vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D means our bones and muscles are at risk and so is our immune system. People are often asymptomatic until their vitamin D levels are very low but long before deficiency develops, the muscles, bones and immune systems suffer. Working indoors, wearing sunscreen and darker skin affect vitamin D absorption through the skin too.
Vitamin D Supplements
The good news is that we can increase vitamin D intake and boost our levels. It is difficult to improve vitamin D levels by diet alone though, as even foods containing vitamin D only have small amounts. Instead a supplement containing the active form, vitamin D3 can the boost our vitamin D stores. A daily dose of 10mcg (400iu) of vitamin D3 is recommended from September to March in the UK to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
Treating vitamin D deficiency with vitamin D3 supplements however, it can take up to 4 WEEKS to replenish vitamin D stores. Even when vitamin D levels are restored to normal, it can take many months for the bones, muscles and immune system to return to normal function.
Vitamin D Injections
Vitamin D injections can also be used to treat vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D levels can return to normal range within a few days. Meaning your bones, muscles and immune system will return to their normal function
within weeks rather than months. Great news for your immune system and vital in your fight against infection like covid.
A general health consultation with blood tests and vitamin injections coming to SkinGenius soon. Please get in contact for more information or to book a video consultation.
References
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/15/bmjnph-2020-000089
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4912
