…Black people with vitamin D3 levels of only 30-40 ng/ml had a 2.64 times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than those with levels of 40 ng/ml or greater.*

Most physicians are testing and recommending vitamin D3 supplementation for folks who live above the Mason-Dixon line. Vitamin D has been found to be deficient in dark skinned people and to those who are not exposed to sufficient amounts of sunlight. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the most active form of vitamin D, is created when the skin is exposed to sunlight. In the northern half of the United States and in the winter months, our bodies do not produce adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is important to the immune system. It protects against muscle weakness and helps to regulate the heartbeat. It aides in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. It is needed for normal blood clotting and to regulate thyroid function. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones and reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

It is estimated that at least 76% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

A recent research study at the University of Chicago Medicine found that Black people with levels of only 30 to 40 ng/ml had a 2.64 times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than those with levels of 40 ng/ml or greater.*

Dr. David Meltzer, Chief of Hospital Medicine at the University of Chicago and is the lead author of the study. He became interested in investigating this after seeing an article in 2020 about the effects of vitamin D supplementation. That article noted that people randomly assigned to take vitamin D supplementation had much lower rates of viral respiratory infection than those who did not take the supplements. People with darker skin who comprise nearly half of the world’s population have vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml.

Vitamin D3 is inexpensive and readily available at drugstores and grocery stores. Dr. Meltzer said, “Currently, the adult recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 to 800 international units (IUs) per day. The National Academy of Medicine has said that taking up to 4,000 IUs per day is safe for the vast majority of people, and risks of hypercalcemia increases at levels over 10,000 IUs per day.”

However, some cholesterol-lowering drugs , antacids, mineral oil and steroid hormones such as cortisone may interfere with absorption. Because some thiazide diuretics, such as chlorothiazide (Esidrix, HydroDIURIL, Oretic) disturb the body’s calcium/vitamin D ratio, taking over 1,000 IU daily may cause a decrease in bone mass.**

Check with your doctor.

** Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Ed., Penguin Books, 2006

*Li Y, Tong CH, Bare LA, Devlin JJ. Assessment of the Association of Vitamin D Level With SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity Among Working-Age Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(5):e2111634. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.11634