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Review Nutrients. 2020 Oct 31;12(11):3361. doi: 10.3390/nu12113361. FULL TEXT LINKS

Evidence Regarding Vitamin D and Risk of COVID-19

and Its Severity
Joseph Mercola 1 , William B Grant 2, Carol L Wagner 3
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PMID: 33142828 PMCID: PMC7692080 DOI: 10.3390/nu12113361
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Vitamin D deficiency co-exists in patients with COVID-19. At this time, dark skin color, increased
age, the presence of pre-existing illnesses and vitamin D deficiency are features of severe COVID
disease. Of these, only vitamin D deficiency is modifiable. Through its interactions with a multitude
of cells, vitamin D may have several ways to reduce the risk of acute respiratory tract infections and PAGE NAVIGATION
COVID-19: reducing the survival and replication of viruses, reducing risk of inflammatory cytokine
production, increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 concentrations, and maintaining Title & authors
endothelial integrity. Fourteen observational studies offer evidence that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin
D concentrations are inversely correlated with the incidence or severity of COVID-19. The evidence Abstract
to date generally satisfies Hill's criteria for causality in a biological system, namely, strength of
association, consistency, temporality, biological gradient, plausibility (e.g., mechanisms), and Conflict of interest
coherence, although experimental verification is lacking. Thus, the evidence seems strong enough statement
that people and physicians can use or recommend vitamin D supplements to prevent or treat
COVID-19 in light of their safety and wide therapeutic window. In view of public health policy, Figures
however, results of large-scale vitamin D randomized controlled trials are required and are currently
in progress. Similar articles

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; COVID-19; IL-6; MMP-9; SARS-CoV-2; cathelicidin; endothelial

References
dysfunction; immune system; inflammation; vitamin D.

Publication types
Conflict of interest statement
MeSH terms
J.M. sells vitamin D and other supplements; W.B.G. receives funding from Bio-Tech Pharmacal, Inc.
(Fayetteville, AR, USA). C.L.W. has no conflicts of interest to declare.
Substances

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Figure 1 The cascade of Figure 2 The role of

events by… vitamin D…

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References
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combination of vitamin D and calcium for the treatment of nutritional rickets in children.
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Show all 155 references

Publication types
Review

MeSH terms
Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / blood*
Coronavirus Infections / mortality
Coronavirus Infections / virology
Dietary Supplements
Female
Humans
Male
Observational Studies as Topic
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / blood*
Pneumonia, Viral / mortality
Pneumonia, Viral / virology
SARS-CoV-2
Severity of Illness Index*
Vitamin D / analogs & derivatives*
Vitamin D / blood
Vitamin D / therapeutic use
Vitamin D Deficiency / virology*
Vitamins / therapeutic use

Substances
Vitamins
Vitamin D
25-hydroxyvitamin D

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