Vitamin D May Offer Protective Benefits Against COVID-19

As the country continues to reopen after the initial onslaught of the worst pandemic in more than a century, many of us are treading carefully. Oral health professionals are particularly at risk as they resume providing elective treatment. After all, COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory illness transmitted via droplets from the mouth or nose, and for oral health professionals, social distancing during treatment is impossible.

In order to safely open their offices, dental practitioners must ensure that they and their staffs are armed with an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), including N-95 masks. But a recent study published in the Lancet suggests that these frontline workers have another tool in their PPE arsenal, and it doesn’t require activation of the Defense Production Act.

THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN

It’s no secret that vitamin D, available to humans through sunlight and diet, offers plenty of health benefits, including the facilitation of a normal immune system. But recent data derived from a cross-sectional analysis of COVID-19 cases across Europe indicate a significant association between vitamin D in various populations and COVID-19 mortality.¹

Study results suggest that Nordic populations have lower COVID-19 mortality rates due to fortification of foods with vitamin D. On the other hand, despite sunnier climates, vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common in Italy and Spain, where mortality has been high. Results also show that darker skinned populations tend to be more vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19 than their fairer counterparts due to curtailed absorption of vitamin D through sunlight.¹

WHY VITAMIN D?

Vitamin D is known to support production of antimicrobial peptides in the respiratory epithelium. This alone minimizes the risk of coronavirus infection. In addition, vitamin D may play a role in reducing the inflammatory response in those who do acquire the infection.¹

Vitamin D is produced in the body through dermal synthesis, best in short, daily exposures to the sun, the length of which depends on skin type. For fair-skinned people, about 10 minutes is recommended. Although, those of us living in more sun-deprived regions may benefit from vitamin D supplements. For the darker skinned among us, recommended exposure may increase to 25 minutes or more. But in this instance, vitamin D supplements may be particularly beneficial.²

However, experts caution that intake of vitamin D over 4,000 IU per day may be harmful and lead to vitamin D toxicity.² For these reasons, researchers urge public health officials to recommend optimal dietary intake of vitamin D along with supplements during the pandemic. Other researchers studying the issue may be less certain of the degree of benefits offered by vitamin D, but conclude that because it is a safe and affordable option, there is little harm in trying supplements, following the government guideline, which, in the US is 400 to 800 IU per day.^1,2

Sunlight may be the best disinfectant, but in this case, it may come in the form of a micronutrient called vitamin D.

REFERENCES

1. Laird E, Rhodes J, Kenny RA. Vitamin D and inflammation: potential implications for severity of COVID-19. Ir Med J. 2020;113:81.
2. Lanham-New SA, Webb AR, Cashman KD, et al. Vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 virus/COVID-19 disease. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. June 9, 2020.