by Guillaume Landry, MSc, Naturopath
It was only a matter of time before a formal human clinical study supported the countless appeals from the scientific community to administer vitamin D to patients with COVID‑19. Just completed, the results confirm what previous study correlations proposed: Vitamin D, particularly safe and accessible to all, delivers resounding health benefits.
A randomized, double-blind clinical study was conducted in Spain, a country among the most impacted by the pandemic in Europe. Doctors and scientists from the University of Cordoba’s Queen Sophia Hospital involved 76 patients hospitalized for acute respiratory infection caused by SARS‑CoV‑2 (the coronavirus causing COVID‑19). This was confirmed by a radiographic pattern of viral pneumonia and by a positive SARS‑CoV‑2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This translates to identifying the virus at DNA level.
All hospitalized patients received the same medical care, including hydroxychloroquine along with the antibiotic azithromycin. In the study cohort, 50 people were supplemented with 16,000 IU of vitamin D on the day of their admission to the hospital, then with 8,000 IU on days 3 and 7, then weekly until discharge or admission in intensive-care unit (ICU). The form of vitamin D used was calcifediol, which bypasses synthesis in the liver for a more direct impact on the body.
A control group of 26 people did not receive vitamin D. Of these patients, 50% were admitted in the ICU, and two deaths occurred. While in the group that received vitamin D supplementation, only 1 out of 50 patients (2%) had to be transferred to the ICU, with no mortalities, nor complications upon leaving the hospital
This pilot study demonstrated that “administration of a high dose of calcifediol or 25‑hydroxyvitamin D, a main metabolite of vitamin D endocrine system, significantly reduced the need for ICU treatment of patients requiring hospitalization due to proven COVID‑19.” However, the authors suggest that more rigorous studies be conducted to confirm their observations.
Vitamin D shows promise to help reduce the severity of this serious viral disease. Winter is on the horizon, with its shorter days and colder temperatures driving us indoors, increasing our susceptibility to transmission of viral infections. Given its proven effects against the flu, its affordability, and safety profile, the “sunshine vitamin” is a must to help protect our families. Let’s spread the news!
Reference
Castillo, M.E., et al. “Effect of calcifediol treatment and best available therapy versus best available therapy on intensive care unit admission and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID‑19: A pilot randomized clinical study.” Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Vol. 203 (2020): 105751. · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2020.105751
