Vitamin D: Sarah Jarvis discusses use in combatting COVID-19

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Vitamin D has been hailed a hero by many when it comes to the prevention of COVID-19, with its effect on immune health displaying some benefits against the potential contraction of the deadly virus.

Some research has revealed that healthy levels of vitamin D in your system aids a healthy immune system and may protect against general respiratory illnesses.

But does Vitamin D lower your risk of coronavirus, or protect you against it?

How does vitamin D affect your immune system?

Vitamin D is necessary for the proper functioning of your immune system — which is your body’s first line of defence against infection and disease.

This is down to its anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties, which are crucial for the activation of immune system defenses.

Vitamin D is known to enhance the function of immune cells, which is important for protection against infection, disease and immune-related disorders.

People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as viral and bacterial respiratory infections.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to decreased lung function, which may affect your body’s ability to fight respiratory infections.

Will taking vitamin D reduce your risk of coronavirus?

Whether or not taking vitamin D prevents COVID-19 has been a talking point in Britain for almost a whole year now.

A variety of studies have revealed vitamin D supplements can in fact enhance immune response and protect against respiratory infections overall.

Vitamin D supplements have also been shown to reduce mortality in older adults, who are most at risk of developing respiratory illnesses like coronavirus.

Although research in this area is ongoing, it’s important to note that taking supplemental vitamin D alone can’t protect you from developing COVID-19.

However, being deficient in vitamin D may increase your susceptibility to overall infection and disease by harming immune function.

Matters like these always vary on a case-by-case basis, but research suggests that plenty of vitamin D can only benefit those who take it.

Still, we don’t know whether taking vitamin D supplements helps to protect against the coronavirus.

If you’re still considering whether to start taking vitamin D, speak to your GP about supplementing to enhance your overall immune response.

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