Vitamin D, Covid 19 and type 1

[alexask]

I have been spending a lot of time looking at Vitamin D (and zinc) with regards to Covid and have even been corresponding with NICE on this. NICE still don't seem convinced, but given :

• the number of studies out there showing strong correlation between Vitamin D levels and Covid outcomes
• one study even showing much improved outcomes for patients admitted to hospital given a high dose shot of a form of Vitamin D
• the fact that Covid died down in summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) and has now come back again in Autumn.
• BAME individuals have much higher death rates in the UK, but not in their native countries.
• I have seen a study which shows in 2019 the UK had one of the lowest levels of Vitamin D serum levels in Europe.
• Japan with their seafood diet, high in Vitamin D and Zinc, have low levels of Covid 19

seems to me strong proof that Vitamin D matters. Vitamin D is the only Vitamin that Public Health England recommends people do supplement for bone health in the winter (or if you are BAME or work indoors, which is almost everyone).

But whilst looking at that I also noticed this study about Vitamin D and type 1 Diabetes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994161/

CONCLUSIONS:
There was an observed effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic control in vitamin D-replete, type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. Further studies are needed to determine if these findings are applicable....

I also noticed that my son, who is the type 1, appears to have better control after supplementing with Vitamin D. It may event be that Vitamin D levels are protective against type 1 in the first place.

So given that most in the UK are Vitamin D deficient I would recommend that you supplement. From my understanding it is best, for heart health, to take Vitamin D with Vitamin K or eat Vitamin K foods with your Vitamin D supplement.

So does anyone here supplement, and if they do, do they notice improved control?

As always do your own research.

 

[becca59]

I have been taking Vitamin D for years with cod liver oil. I don’t know if it has made a difference to my control but my TIR is between 80/90%. During the pandemic, both husband and I have tried hard to get plenty of time outdoors in ant sunshine particularly during the main part of the day.

 

[NicoleC1971]

I have been spending a lot of time looking at Vitamin D (and zinc) with regards to Covid and have even been corresponding with NICE on this. NICE still don't seem convinced, but given :

• the number of studies out there showing strong correlation between Vitamin D levels and Covid outcomes
• one study even showing much improved outcomes for patients admitted to hospital given a high dose shot of a form of Vitamin D
• the fact that Covid died down in summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) and has now come back again in Autumn.
• BAME individuals have much higher death rates in the UK, but not in their native countries.
• I have seen a study which shows in 2019 the UK had one of the lowest levels of Vitamin D serum levels in Europe.
• Japan with their seafood diet, high in Vitamin D and Zinc, have low levels of Covid 19

seems to me strong proof that Vitamin D matters. Vitamin D is the only Vitamin that Public Health England recommends people do supplement for bone health in the winter (or if you are BAME or work indoors, which is almost everyone).

But whilst looking at that I also noticed this study about Vitamin D and type 1 Diabetes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994161/

CONCLUSIONS:
There was an observed effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic control in vitamin D-replete, type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. Further studies are needed to determine if these findings are applicable....

I also noticed that my son, who is the type 1, appears to have better control after supplementing with Vitamin D. It may event be that Vitamin D levels are protective against type 1 in the first place.

So given that most in the UK are Vitamin D deficient I would recommend that you supplement. From my understanding it is best, for heart health, to take Vitamin D with Vitamin K or eat Vitamin K foods with your Vitamin D supplement.

So does anyone here supplement, and if they do, do they notice improved control?

As always do your own research.

Whilst i think you're right and do supplement vit D with k2 the most important thing for me is best blood sugars, whole food low carb and lots of sunlight. As t1 of 40 years+ I don't want to become insulin resistant! I am coming at it through the idea of metabolic ill health.
I believe that the Fins did see a decline in the incidence of Type 1 after fortifying food with vitamin D so its clearly an important marker for something in relation to our immune systems and I hope it gets elucidated.
When I say marker, I believe that those studies point to the general metabolic health of the older population where because they are insulin resistant they cannot convert the vitamin D they ingest or absorb from UV into its useful form (D3) and so have compromisd immune responses (the small 76 patient Madrid study gave D3 to those patients that had such marked improvements which is different to just popping a low dose pill). This is thought to be a factor in the Northern Italian spike where the elderly population is (surprisingly to me) very low in Vitamin D . As for BAME it is likely to be a factor but its hard to unpick it from a genetic tendency to insulin resistance and the socio economic factors we know of.
Lastly please take a look at Ivor Cummins work on The Viral Issue in which he has discussed the seasonality of this virus with reference to research done on how influenza behaves in different regions of the world (I think the 8th September You tube video is great). Vitamin D is also mentioned quite a lot.
I should also say that I am nearly 50 and am not remotely worried about this virus though my septegenerian mum and dad still fret on my behalf! Prof Kar (UK NHS Lead on Diabetes ) has done a risk calculator:
https://qcovid.org/patientinformation/patientinformation
Not sure how old your son is as this one is over 19 and if he is younger then the score would be even more reassuring.

 

[alexask]

Whilst i think you're right and do supplement vit D with k2 the most important thing for me is best blood sugars, whole food low carb and lots of sunlight. As t1 of 40 years+ I don't want to become insulin resistant! I am coming at it through the idea of metabolic ill health.
I believe that the Fins did see a decline in the incidence of Type 1 after fortifying food with vitamin D so its clearly an important marker for something in relation to our immune systems and I hope it gets elucidated.
When I say marker, I believe that those studies point to the general metabolic health of the older population where because they are insulin resistant they cannot convert the vitamin D they ingest or absorb from UV into its useful form (D3) and so have compromisd immune responses (the small 76 patient Madrid study gave D3 to those patients that had such marked improvements which is different to just popping a low dose pill). This is thought to be a factor in the Northern Italian spike where the elderly population is (surprisingly to me) very low in Vitamin D . As for BAME it is likely to be a factor but its hard to unpick it from a genetic tendency to insulin resistance and the socio economic factors we know of.
Lastly please take a look at Ivor Cummins work on The Viral Issue in which he has discussed the seasonality of this virus with reference to research done on how influenza behaves in different regions of the world (I think the 8th September You tube video is great). Vitamin D is also mentioned quite a lot.
I should also say that I am nearly 50 and am not remotely worried about this virus though my septegenerian mum and dad still fret on my behalf! Prof Kar (UK NHS Lead on Diabetes ) has done a risk calculator:
https://qcovid.org/patientinformation/patientinformation
Not sure how old your son is as this one is over 19 and if he is younger then the score would be even more reassuring.