A German study published in MDPI in October 2021 investigated the correlation between vitamin D levels as a marker of a patient’s immune defense and resilience against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
The study is titled: COVID-19 Mortality Risk Correlates Inversely with Vitamin D3 Status, and a Mortality Rate Close to Zero Could Theoretically Be Achieved at 50 ng/mL 25(OH)D3: Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis and represents a systemic literature review conducted to identify retrospective or past cohorts as well as clinical studies on COVID-19 mortality rates versus D3 blood levels.
Mortality rates for clinical studies were corrected for age, sex, and diabetes. The data sets provided strong evidence that low D3 is a predictor rather than a side effect of the COVID- 19 infection. The study demonstrates that vitamin D3 deficiency is one of the main reasons for severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
According to the study, the fatality rates correlate with the findings that elderly black people with comorbidities show very low vitamin D3 levels. With only a few exceptions, the highest infection rates occur in the winter months in northern countries, which are known to suffer from low vitamin D3 levels due to low endogenous sun-triggered vitamin D3 synthesis.
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Long before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many scientific publications showed the effectiveness of a sufficient vitamin D3 blood level in curing many human diseases caused by a weak or unregulated immune system. This includes all types of virus infections, with an emphasis on lung infections that cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, as well as autoimmune diseases.
The study states that routine vitamin D3 testing, and supplementation are still not established today. And it seems that new findings of vitamin D3 have not been well accepted in the medical community, adding many recommendations for vitamin D3 are much too low to guarantee the optimal blood level of 40-60 ng/ml.
It points to several important functions of vitamin D3 in supporting immune defense, including suppression of inflammation by reducing the generation of inflammatory cytokines, as well as reduction of the severity of cytokine release syndrome, which causes multiple organ damage and is the leading cause of death in late-stage SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vitamin D3 also acts against invading respiratory viruses by disrupting viral envelopes and altering the viability of host target cells.
The study concludes with the recommendation to combine vaccination with the routine strengthening of the immune system of the whole population by vitamin D3 supplementation to consistently guarantee blood levels above 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L). Adding that from a medical point of view, this will not only save lives but increase the success of vaccination. From a social and political point of view, it will lower the need for further contact restrictions and lockdowns. From an economic point of view, it will save billions of dollars worldwide since vitamin D is inexpensive, and together with vaccines, provides an opportunity to get the spread of SARS-CoV-2 under control.
Authors: Lorenz Borsche 1,*, Bernd Glauner 2 and Julian von Mendel 3 Citation: Borsche, L.; Glauner, B.; von Mendel, J. COVID-19 Mortality Risk Correlates Inversely with Vitamin D3 Status, and a Mortality Rate Close to Zero Could Theoretically Be Achieved at 50 ng/mL 25(OH)D3: Results of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
1 Independent Researcher, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
2 Independent Researcher, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany; bgl@cellprobe.de
3 Artificial Intelligence, IU International University of Applied Sciences, D-99084 Erfurt, Germany; pub@derjulian.net