Month: October 2021

A sufficient level of this vitamin could halve the risk of catching coronavirus and protect COVID-19 patients from the worst of the disease.

Vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection and the severity of the disease, if it is caught, research finds.

Professor Michael Holick, study co-author, said:

“Because vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is so widespread in children and adults in the United States and worldwide, especially in the winter months, it is prudent for everyone to take a vitamin D supplement to reduce risk of being infected and having complications from COVID-19.”

A blood level of 30 nanogram per millilitre of vitamin D has been shown to protect patients with COVID-19 against complications and death, as well as reducing the risk of getting ill by a large amount.

According to a study, COVID-19 patients with adequate levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are less likely to have severe clinical problems from the illness.

These outcomes include hypoxia — poor oxygen supply to the body — being unconscious, and death.

25-hydroxyvitamin D is produced in the liver and it is a major form of vitamin D3 and vitamin D2.

Also, patients with a sufficient amount of vitamin D have higher levels of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell which fights infection, and their blood shows a lower level of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory indicator.

Professor Holick said:

“This study provides direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can reduce the complications, including the cytokine storm (release of too many proteins into the blood too quickly) and ultimately death from COVID-19.”

The study examined 235 hospitalized coronavirus patients to see if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels can change the severe clinical outcomes from the disease.

Vitamin D status, numbers of lymphocytes, and C-reactive protein were analysed from patient’s blood samples.

The patients were also checked for severity of the infection, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness and hypoxia.

The analysis showed that patients with a blood level of at least 30 ng/mL of 25-hydroxyvitamin D had a 52 percent higher chance of surviving the infection than those with lower levels of vitamin D.

Professor Holick, in a recent study, revealed that an adequate amount of vitamin D can lower the odds of becoming infected with COVID-19 by 54 percent.

Vitamin D sufficiency helps to overcome the coronavirus disease and other types of upper respiratory infections such as influenza.

Professor Holick pointed out:

“There is great concern that the combination of an influenza infection and a coronal viral infection could substantially increase hospitalizations and death due to complications from these viral infections.”

Vitamin D is a cheap but effective way to boost people’s immune system against the virus and can decrease health-related issues such as needing ventilatory support and immune system overactivity resulting in cytokine storm.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE  (Maghbooli et al., 2020).

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A dietary pattern that can reduce blood pressure effectively, even if consumed with some dairy and meat products.

Even less strict plant-based diets containing small amounts of animal products can also lower blood pressure, a review reveals.

Researchers from Warwick Medical School point out that dietary patterns containing higher amounts of plant-based foods, if married to small amounts of animal-based foods such as meat and diary will still reduce blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

The team compared seven plant-based diets including the Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian, high fibre, vegan, high fruit and vegetables, and Nordic.

Several of these diets contained some animal products, but results showed that they exert a similar effect on blood pressure as has been seen in strict vegetarian diets.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, therefore decreases in blood pressure would have a significant positive impact on public health.

The global death rate and number of diseases caused by poor diets are much higher than excessive drinking, smoking, unsafe sex, and drug abuse put together.

Every year about 5 million death could be prevented by eating a more plant-based diet rich in whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

The research team wanted to see if plant-based diets have to be free from any animal product in order to lower blood pressure sufficiently.

Mr Joshua Gibbs, the study’s first author, said:

“We reviewed 41 studies involving 8,416 participants, in which the effects of seven different plant-based diets (including DASH, Mediterranean, Vegetarian, Vegan, Nordic, high fibre and high fruit and vegetables) on blood pressure were studied in controlled clinical trials.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of these studies showed that most of these diets lowered blood pressure.

The DASH diet had the largest effect reducing blood pressure by 5.53/3.79 mmHg compared to a control diet, and by 8.74/6.05 mmHg when compared to a ‘usual’ diet.

A blood pressure reduction of the scale caused by a higher consumption of plant-based diets, even with limited animal products would result in a 14% reduction in strokes, a 9% reduction in heart attacks and a 7% reduction in overall mortality.

This is a significant finding as it highlights that complete eradication of animal products is not necessary to produce reductions and improvements in blood pressure.

Essentially, any shift towards a plant-based diet is a good one.”

Professor Francesco Cappuccio, study senior author, said:

“The adoption of plant-based dietary patterns would also play a role in global food sustainability and security.

They would contribute to a reduction in land use due to human activities, to global water conservation and to a significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emission.

The study shows the efficacy of a plant-based diet on blood pressure. However, the translation of this knowledge into real benefits to people, i.e. its effectiveness, depends on a variety of factors related to both individual choices and to governments’ policy decisions.

For example, for an individual, the ability to adopt a plant-based diet would be influenced by socio-economic factors (costs, availability, access), perceived benefits and difficulties, resistance to change, age, health status, low adherence due to palatability and…

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Vitamin B12 can easily be obtained from the diet or by supplementation.

Around one-quarter of people may be deficient in vitamin B12, research finds.

White spots appearing on the skin can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The spots are often found on the outside of the forearm, although they may be in other places as well.

Over time these can become flaky and expose raw spots of flesh.

The reason vitamin B12 can cause these spots is because it can lead to low melatonin.

When melatonin is absent in the area, the white spots are left.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 can either be obtained from the diet or by supplementation.

Foods that contain high levels of vitamin B12 include dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

For the study, 1,079 adults in Germany had their vitamin B12 levels measured.

More than one-quarter were deficient in vitamin B12, the results showed.

More than half were also deficient in vitamin D.

Ms Romy Conzade, the study’s first author, said:

“The results are very clear.

Fifty-two percent of the examined older adults had vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/L and thus had a suboptimal vitamin D status.”

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Dr. Barbara Thorand, study co-author, said:

“Our study also shows that regular intake of vitamin-containing supplements goes along with improved levels of the respective vitamins.

However, vitamin-containing supplements are not a universal remedy, and particularly older people should watch out for maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet.”

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Conzade et al., 2017).

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