Vitamin D Levels Over 55 ng/mL Reduced Rate of Infections by 47%

This article was previously published on September 28, 2020 and has been updated with new information.

Evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, severe complications, and death continues to grow. September 17, 2020, newspaper^first in PLOS ONE showed that people with lower blood levels of vitamin D had a significantly higher risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Higher vitamin D reduces risk of positive SARS-CoV-2 test

Lead researcher Dr Michael Hollick, widely recognized as one of the leading experts on vitamin D in the world. I have interviewed him twice in the past. He and his team used a retrospective observational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 tests to determine whether blood levels of vitamin D affect positivity rates.

Based on vitamin D results from the previous 12 months and SARS-CoV-2 testing data from mid-March to mid-June 2020 from 191,779 patients from 50 US states who had low vitamin D levels as low as 55 ng/mL (138 nmol/L) had a 47% lower SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate than those with levels below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).² As noted by the authors:

“The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate was 9.3% and the seasonally adjusted mean 25(OH)D was 31.7 [ng/mL]. The positive rate for SARS-CoV-2 in 39,190 patients with a 25(OH)D ‘deficient’ value (<20 ng/mL) (12.5%...) was higher than in 27,870 patients with 'adequate' values ​​(30–34 ng/mL) (8.1%…) and 12,321 patients with values ​​≥55 ng/mL (5.9%…)…³

The risk of being positive for SARS-CoV-2 continued to decrease until the serum concentration reached 55 ng/mL. This finding is not surprising, given the established inverse relationship between the risk of respiratory viral pathogens, including influenza, and 25(OH)D levels.⁴

SARS-CoV-2 positivity is closely and inversely related to circulating 25(OH)D levels, a relationship that exists across latitudes, race/ethnicity, and both sex and age. . Our findings provide the impetus to explore the role of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. “⁵

The chart below, taken from Grass MotorcycleHealth,⁶ shows how the rate of positive SARS-CoV-2 results decreases as vitamin D levels increase. Again, when you increase your vitamin D level from 20 ng/mL to 55 ng/mL, your risk of having a positive SARS-CoV-2 test is reduced by 47%.

Even after adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, and latitude, the risk of having a positive test result was 43 percent lower in people with a vitamin D level of 55 ng/mL than in those with a level of 20. ng/mL. I understand that COVID-19 testing can be worthless and counterproductive with false positives, but this is the only metric we currently have available to evaluate interventions.

Vitamin D reduces infection rates and hospitalizations

A higher vitamin D concentration that reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (i.e. having a positive test result) was also confirmed in an Israeli population-based study.^7,8 published in July 2020. This article examined data from 7,807 people tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection between February 1 and April 30, 2020, who are also available. vitamin D test data.

Here, people with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) had a 59% lower risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 than those with vitamin D levels of 20 ng/mL. up to 29 ng/mL (50 to 74 nmol/L), and the risk was 58% lower compared with those with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L). The chart below, from a Baseline Health report,⁹ illustrate the findings.

Vitamin D reduces hospital and ICU enrollment

Seeing how higher levels of vitamin D reduce the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the first place, it is not surprising that other data show that higher vitamin D intake also lowers the risk of infection. hospitalization and intensive care rates.

Analysis of Israel^ten The above, for example, found that among those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, those with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL also had a 1.95-fold difference (coarse odds ratio) to 2.09 times (odds ratio after adjusting for demographics and psychiatric and somatic disorders) higher risk of hospitalization for COVID-19.

In other words, having vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL doubles the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19. Vitamin D, when used in hospitalized patients, can also reduce the risk that they need intensive care.

This was demonstrated by Spanish researchers in a small randomized clinical study^{11,twelfth,13,14} published online August 29, 2020. They found hospitalized COVID-19 patients were receiving supplemental calcifediol (a vitamin D3 analogue also known as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D) in addition to standard of care – including the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin – had significantly lower rates of intensive care hospitalization.

Patients in the vitamin D group received 532 micrograms of calcifediol on the day of admission (equivalent to 106,400 IU of vitamin D).¹⁵) followed by 266 mcg on Days 3 and 7 (equivalent to 53,200 IUs¹⁶). They then received 266 mcg once weekly until discharge, ICU admission, or death.

Among those receiving calcifediol, only 2% required ICU admission, compared with 50% of those not receiving calcifediol. None of those receiving vitamin D supplements died, while 7.6% in the standard care group died.

Vitamin D reduces COVID-19 mortality

Other studies have also confirmed that higher vitamin D levels reduce the risk of complications and death from COVID-19. Among them is a study in August 2020^17,18 published in the journal Nutrients, found that patients with vitamin D levels below 12 ng/mL (30 nmol/L) had a 6.12-fold higher risk of severe illness requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and a 6.12-fold increased risk of death. 14.7 times higher than those with vitamin D levels above 12 ng/mL.

An Iranian study^19,20 published online in mid-July 2020 also showed that patients with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) had better clinical outcomes and a much lower risk of death. Among COVID-19 patients over the age of 40 with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL, 20% died, compared with 9.7% in those with levels equal to or above 30 ng/mL. Among those with vitamin D levels of at least 40 ng/mL, only 6.3% died.

Low vitamin D is a risk factor for respiratory failure

However, another study, published in the Journal of Investigative Endocrinology in August 2020, found that vitamin D deficiency was a common factor in hospitalized patients in Italy who had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. respiratory infections associated with COVID-19.

As reported by Grass juniorHealth:²¹

“Vitamin D levels were measured individually for each patient and determined to be inadequate (20-29 ng/ml or 50-74 nmol/L), moderately deficient (10-19 ng/ml (25-49 nmol/L) L) and severe deficiency (<10 ng/ml or <25 nmol/L).Normal vitamin D levels are defined as 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L) or higher.

81% of patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 had vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L); and 24% had severe vitamin D deficiency (≤10 ng/ml or ≤25 nmol/L).

When looking at mortality after 10 days of hospitalization, it was found that people with severe vitamin D deficiency had a 50% probability of dying, compared with 5% in those with vitamin D levels greater than 10 ng/ ml (25 nmol/L).

This is a 10-fold increased risk of death in patients with severe vitamin D deficiency compared with patients with vitamin D levels > 10 ng/ml (> 25 nmol/L) at 10 day hospitalization.”

According to the study authors:

“Overall, these considerations support the recommendation that people at risk for influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking vitamin D supplements to elevate their 25(OH)D levels above 40-60.” ng/mL and treatment of patients with influenza and/or COVID-19 includes higher doses of vitamin D.”

How and Why Vitamin D Reduces COVID-19 Risk

In a previous article, I looked at how vitamin D reduces your risk of complications and death from COVID-19 by inhibiting both cytokines²² and bradykinin storms.²³ Vitamin D also has:

All of these factors make it an important component of the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. As temperature and humidity drop – two factors that affect the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to survive in the air and on surfaces – we will most likely see a reappearance as we enter the winter. autumn and winter.

My #StopCOVIDCold campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of optimizing vitamin D to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Two reports, which you can download for free on the #StopCOVIDCold website, provide insights into the biological mechanism behind vitamin D’s protective effects.

As the Northern Hemisphere begins to enter fall, it’s an ideal time to check your vitamin D levels and start taking action to raise it if you’re under 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L). Experts recommend vitamin D levels between 40 and 60 ng/ml (100 to 150 nmol/L). An easy and cost-effective way to measure your vitamin D levels is to order a Grass–Health vitamin D test kit.

Once you know your current vitamin D levels, use GrassonianHealth’s vitamin D calculator^{thirty first} to determine how much vitamin D you may need to reach your target levels. To optimize vitamin D absorption and utilization, make sure to take a vitamin D supplement along with vitamin K2 and magnesium. All three work synergistically to manage calcium metabolism.³²

Finally, be sure to check back in three to four months to make sure you’ve hit your target level. If you have, then you know you’re taking the right dose. If you are still low (or have reached levels above 80 ng/mL), you will need to adjust your dosage accordingly and check again in three to four months.

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