Many people are aware of the importance of Vitamin D, yet half of Americans (or more, depending on the demographic) have a Vitamin D deficiency. This is a notable problem, but can be fairly easy to remedy.
According to research, Vitamin D supports our immune systems and helps us fight diseases, reduces depression, and even supports weight loss. This “sunshine vitamin” is actually produced in your skin when you’re exposed to sunlight, but many of us don’t get to spend as much time outdoors as we’d like. That’s why Vitamin D supplementation is often seen as a simple way to maintain healthy levels.
Vitamin D is also worthy of special attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. As described in UChicago Medicine, a retrospective study of patients tested for COVID-19 reveals a connection between a deficiency in Vitamin D and the likelihood of becoming infected with coronavirus disease. David Meltzer, MD, PhD, Chief of Hospital Medicine at UChicago Medicine and lead author of the study, said that “Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections. Our statistical analysis suggests this may be true for the COVID-19 infection.”
Moreover, groups of researchers across multiple countries discovered that the sickest patients often had the lowest Vitamin D levels, and that countries with higher death rates had larger numbers of people with deficiencies in vitamin D when compared to countries with lower death rates. As such, experts believe that proper levels of Vitamin D may give people with COVID-19 a survival advantage by helping them avoid a cytokine storm, which is when the immune system overreacts and attacks your own cells and tissues.
In the end, make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D. It’s always been an important vitamin, but is especially important now. This is one of the many reasons that high quality vegan Vitamin D is a key ingredient in the RDCL Immunity Boost, as we appreciate its role in maintaining healthy immune function and optimal well-being. One way or another, it’s essential for everyone to get enough of the sunshine vitamin. Your body certainly needs it.
By Donny Makower, a Seriously Radical Founder
