Can Vitamin D Help Reduce COVID-19 Infections?
Optimized levels of Vitamin D can reduce the risk of infection of COVID-19
Coronavirus can be a serious respiratory disorder caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or Novel Coronavirus. The first officially reported case of this viral infection happened in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). On January 30, 2020, health authorities declared a global public health emergency. More than 75 million cases and 1.7 million deaths worldwide have been attributed to COVID-19, according to health officials.
Governments and health authorities worldwide have considered COVID-19 vaccines as the primary solution to end this disease, even when the data shows that the mRNA COVID vaccines don't prevent transmission and don't prevent sickness. No one should deny the crucial role of preventive measures in reducing the cases and the mortality rate. Stabilizing the body's health with vitamin D supplements is a critical preventative measure under study and research modules that has proven its worth in theoretical systems.
Past studies have suggested vitamin D deficiency's impact on the body's immune system. By reducing the risk of infections and mortality rate by regulating innate and adaptive immunity, vitamin D efficiently caters to strengthening the body's immune system.
One primary reason for this disease to cause such mass disturbance in people is the lack of interest from most governments in focusing on proven treatments and remedies to combat the functioning of the disease. But the supplementation of vitamin D has proven to cure the symptoms of COVID-19, especially in those suffering from VDD (deficiency of vitamin D).
Why is vitamin D so important for the prevention of viral diseases?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and a steroid hormone that is produced in the skin as a result of ultraviolet radiation. This hormone is also available in other prominent food sources such as mushrooms and dietary foods. Vitamin D is needed in optimized levels for teeth health, firm bone structure, and muscle strength. In addition to all this, vitamin D also helps enhance an individual's overall immune strength.
Low levels of vitamin D in the body can cause serious health issues. They can expose a person to various complications, such as infectious diseases, rickets, bone deformities, and osteoporosis. It can also increase the risk of serious complications such as heart issues, multiple sclerosis, and obesity.
Vitamin D deficiency is a serious global concern of the twenty-first century. It is a significant public health problem that is causing severe issues for billions around the globe. A serious drop in vitamin D levels affects the body's immune capacity. It also exerts additional pressure on the immunomodulation role that vitamin D plays in the body.
Recently, some studies have also solidified the claims of the direct relationship between low levels of serum vitamin D and increased cases of the acute respiratory tract. A meta-analysis conducted in recent times, which incorporated eight observational studies, reported that people with drastically low levels of vitamin D, such as <50 nmol had a 64% high chance of acquiring pneumonia.
For long periods and supported by scientific data and evidence, vitamin D deficiency has been linked with an individual's suppressed and reduced immune capacity, often exposing them to long-term harm and viral infection. Recently, researchers are also linking low levels of vitamin C in the body with an increased chance of COVID-19 infection.
The Relationship Between Vitamin D and COVID-19 Infection
Various researchers comment that Vitamin D's central and defining role in managing or treating COVID-19 is still a bit tough and complicated. Vitamin D has a recognized role in operating, initiating, and conducting various factors that enhance immunity, which inadvertently can impact the overall severe outcomes and severity of the COVID-19 infection.
The COVID-19 infection can water down the impacts of ACE2, leading to a dangerous accumulation of Angiotensin II, which feeds the production of ARDS (Acute respiratory distress syndrome). Good levels of Vitamin D can reduce the impact of COVID-19 infections on the RAAS (Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system), which is essential for long-term blood pressure.
Vitamin D is emerging as a potential savior in current studies. It is mainly due to the antiviral impacts of Vitamin D that are causing the viral replication to halt or slow down.
The SARS-CoV-2 mainly utilizes the same immune evasion that enables during infection leading to a hyperimmune reaction and a cytokine storm in some individuals. This whole curve is also known as acute respiratory disease syndrome.
During COVID-19 infection, the body utilizes angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a host receptor which finds an entrance inside the alveolar and intestinal epithelial cells. The dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system causes excess cytokine production, leading to a fatal case of ARDS.
Another factor to consider is that good nutrition could reduce the mortality from COVID-19. One such nutrient is Vitamin D. A study conducted in 20 European countries explains the correlation of vitamin D concentration with COVID-19 and death per one million of the population. This review paper establishes the vital role that Vitamin D plays in the possible prevention of acute respiratory tract infections.
Relevancy of Vitamin D and COVID-19
It is relevant to understand the various virulence mechanisms of COVID-19. Papain-like protease-mediated replication, dipeptidyl peptidase - 4 receptor binding, disruption of M protein-mediated type-1 IFN induction, and MDA 5 and RIG-1 host recognition evasion have been monitored in closely related COVID-MERS.
Of all the mechanisms mentioned above, human DPP-4/CD26 is in direct connection with the S1 domain of the COVID-19 spike glycoprotein. This process indicates that the spike glycoprotein can play a significant role as a virulence factor in COVID-19. When the levels of vitamin D are restored in the body, this causes a reduction in the levels of DPP-4/CD26.
COVID-19 Epidemiological Observations
Recent studies suggest that COVID-19 can be deadly and dangerous to some individuals because it causes the production of inflammatory cytokines, C-reactive proteins, ARDS, pneumonia, and cardiac failure.
China suffered from a 6-10% fatality rate because of COVID-19 infections, fueling chronic respiratory tract disease, CVD, hypertension, and diabetes. In the past, several clinical trials of controlled vitamin D supplementation, which were in vivo, led to a significant reduction in respiratory disorders. In addition to all this, a placebo-controlled trial with 5660 subjects solidified the fact that Vitamin D-optimized levels can reduce the overall impacts of respiratory diseases or infections.
The Interplay between Vitamin D and ACE2 Receptor
The SARS-CoV-2 rate can increase due to endothelial defects and enhanced barrier permeability, fueling the death rate and paving the way for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Secured levels of vitamin D in the body can keep the risk of mild respiratory dysfunction at bay.
Furthermore, the formation of the 1,25(OH)2 D3 pathway and its formation is responsible for suppressing the production of renin and ACE as well as AngII in the body leading to an increased risk of ACE2 lipopolysaccharide-triggered lung injury or acute respiratory dysfunction.
This activity of lipopolysaccharide decreases by various means. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is a key enzyme of the renin-angiotensin system that acts as a major entry point for several coronaviruses, such as HCoV-NL63 and SARS- CoV. Both of these types of infectious agents cause SARS and COVID-19. SARS finds attachment in the human body through the rise in the levels of glycoprotein in the body, which causes a reduction in the levels of ACE2, leading to severe cases of pneumonia and lung injuries.
Considering this, novel coronavirus can be treated best with the help of vitamin D supplementation. This fact shows the vital role that Vitamin D plays in RAS and regulates the ACE and ACE 2.
Vitamin D and Innate Immunity
The impact of calcitriol in influencing the activity of macrophages is considered to be one of the major and prominent factors for the enhanced activity of innate immunity. When an infectious agent enters the body, macrophages and monocytes both tend to use Toll-like receptors to generate pathogen-associated molecular patterns, which constitute the first line of defense in the person.
The substance calcitriol is considered one substance that plays a vital role in this overall stimulation.
Vitamin D and Its Mechanisms for Decreasing Viral Infections
Different mechanisms reduce the risks of microbial and viral infections in people. If we are to discuss the pathways on which vitamin D reduces infection of the common cold, here are three ways:
physical barrier
cellular natural immunity
adaptive immunity
Vitamin D reduces the mortality rate of COVID-19 by catering to the following measures:
cell junctions
gap junctions
increase in cellular immunity
decrease in a cytokine storm (under the influence of interferon y and tumor necrosis factor-a)
regulation in the adaptive immunity by inhibiting the T helper cell
stimulation of T cells induction
The intake of vitamin D supplements also leads to an increase in CD4 T cell count in HIV infection.
Concluding the Studies
Studies and research have shed light on the significant collaboration between optimized levels of Vitamin D in the body and strengthened immunity followed by reduced infections such as COVID-19, hence fewer mortalities.
Within months of receiving the Vitamin D supplements, patients with low vitamin D levels showed more apparent signs of positive recovery. The supplements given to those patients were either vitamin D2 or D3. Patients receiving high cumulative dosages and high daily doses had a stronger chance of recovery from SARS-CoV.
The best perk of vitamin D3 supplementation and designing a treatment plan with vitamin D3 is that it is cost-effective, readily available, bears low side effects, and an overall possible approach that prevents the onset of COVID-19 with strict measures.
REFERENCES:
Ghelani D, Alesi S, Mousa A. Vitamin D, and COVID-19: An Overview of Recent Evidence. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Sep 29;22(19):10559. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910559. PMID: 34638897; PMCID: PMC8509048.
Nurshad Ali, Role of vitamin D in preventing of COVID-19 infection, progression and severity, Journal of Infection and Public Health, Volume 13, Issue 10, 2020, Pages 1373-1380, ISSN 1876-0341, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.06.021.
Malek Mahdavi A. A brief review of interplay between vitamin D and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2: Implications for a potential treatment for COVID-19. Rev Med Virol. 2020 Sep;30(5):e2119. doi: 10.1002/rmv.2119. Epub 2020 June 25. PMID: 32584474; PMCID: PMC7362103.
Teshome A, Adane A, Girma B, Mekonnen ZA. The Impact of Vitamin D Level on COVID-19 Infection: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Public Health. 2021 March 5;9:624559. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.624559. PMID: 33748066; PMCID: PMC7973108.
Ashique, S, Gupta, K, Gupta, G, et al. Vitamin D—A prominent immunomodulator to prevent COVID-19 infection. Int J Rheum Dis. 2022; 00: 1- 18. doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.14477
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