Vitamin D and COVID-19
You must be wondering why I posted this picture of me upside down with a mushroom?
Well, I needed to capture your attention for a very important reason. A new study came out this month that showed healthy levels of Vitamin D may protect against severe complications from COVID-19. In this study, normal Vitamin D levels cut the COVID-19 mortality rate by 50%! This study is interesting because the findings suggest that appropriate Vitamin D supplementation may help protect vulnerable populations such as African Americans and the elderly who are often Vitamin D deficient. Researchers believe that Vitamin D is critical in COVID-19 because it regulates our immune system and prevents it from becoming overactive.
So how do you get more Vitamin D? Of course we all know you get Vitamin D from the sun. But I walk outside for two hours every day and I am severely Vitamin D deficient. In fact, that is why the National Academy of Medicine suggests that if you are vitamin D deficient the best way to increase your vitamin D levels is with a vitamin D supplement. I take one every day. You can also get vitamin D from foods. Vitamin D rich foods include salmon, herring, sardines, egg yolks, and MUSHROOMS. Which brings me back to this silly picture. Here is a fun fact. Wild mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D2. In fact, some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 3.5-ounce. This is because mushrooms can synthesize vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Only wild mushrooms or mushrooms treated with UV light are good sources of vitamin D because commercially grown mushrooms are usually not exposed to sunlight.
Anyway, let's get back to the main reason for this post. Please get the word out on Vitamin D and COVID-19. Vitamin supplementation in vitamin D deficient individuals is a simple actionable step that may have a significant impact on this terrible disease especially in vulnerable populations. Please share this post to your stories to increase awareness of this interesting and important finding.