Vitamin D and Covid 19

Re doses, the max recommended dose is 4000 IU, which is a lot more than in most supplements,
Our max strength D3 capsules contain 3000 IU.

Kalu I am not complaining!!
I got mine from Amazon as all supplies had run out locally. I hesitate to buy tablets online for obvious reasons but chose Vitabiotics as they seemed the best company to buy from.

I don't know why the Govt. aren't making TV adverts advising everyone (especially those with dark skin) to take Vit D. We have known for ages there is a link with Covid. I have emailed No. 10 and an MP who was speaking about Covid and the BAME community but have had no reply. I'm sure lives could have been saved.

A friend who is a retired consultant surgeon phoned me last week to say the latest research was recommending 25 micrograms daily just now but said if you are taking 10 a day currently just take two tablets. I don't know if that's only in sun deprived Scotland!

I’ve been taking calcium and vitamin D tablets for several years, as I have osteoporosis.

Antonia. It would be a good idea to speak to your pharmacist to advise you as to what dosage of VitD can be taken with your presents meds.

Don’t mean to sound patronising but it is never a good idea to self prescribe when you are mixing different meds./supplements.

That's the best advice Kalu ( to*Antonia*), I've been slightly worried since posting, that anything I said might cause some harm, being a bit too general. Worry relieved!

I believe there is also a link between low vitamin D and some cancers.

I read several years ago about a study which found that a high percentage of patients with breast cancer were also deficient in vitamin D.

Obviously we all know that too much sun exposure can lead to skin cancer, but I do wonder if that message has frightened too many people who slather on factor 30 at the mere sight of the sun.

Then of course there is the problem of some children from certain ethnic groups being diagnosed with rickets due to low vitamin D levels.

I have a friend who is a practice nurse in London and said there have been some cases in her surgery.

I’m another who’s taking Vitamin D supplements and who has noticed my nails are much stronger. I take Health Leads Vitamin D which I bought through Amazon. I also take the same brand of Vitamin K as I read that Vitamin K is needed to work with Vitamin D as it stops the Vitamin D from calcifying in the blood vessels.

I read about the link between Vitamin D deficiency and COVID so went and bought some just before Lockdown. A young doctor working on the COVID wards told me that they are treating seriously ill COVID patients with Vitamin D and it appears to be benefitial so I will be continung taking it.

I was prescribed Vit D by my Dr, when i had to see another Dr as mine was away,she took them off me and said you don't need those
I was very annoyed as my Dr must have thought i needed them, but i just buy them now,Vit D3 are the best

A few years ago I was shocked to hear from my Rheumatologist that I had very low levels of Vit D despite having spent most of that summer on a sunny golf course. Its yet more fun from having Lupus apparently. I take it all year now and have started DH on it.

After reading this I think I need to have my levels checked. So far this year I have had lots of sun exposure but winter looms.
I have been aware of the link but assumed that my exposure protected me.
On the subject of Africa being relatively unaffected I read somewhere that people with Neanderthal genes are more likely to have an adverse reaction to the virus. Africans have little or no Neanderthal in them. I unfortunately have more than average.

Espee my test is done at the hospital osteoporosis clinic.
GPs seem to be reluctant to test.
There is an NHS criteria for testing.

^Vitamin D levels should only be checked when patients have one clinical feature of vitamin D deficiency.
Routine testing for at risk groups1
should NOT be undertaken^

A certain Donald Trump was treated (amongst other things) with vitamin D and he has, allegedly, made a very good recovery.

The thing is as long as we stay within the recommended dose, taking it certainly won’t do any harm and could potentially do a lot of good.

I take it with calcium and I have just ordered zinc with vit. C after reading that could help.

Keeping an eye on our weight too is vitally important.

EllanVannin, look out for mushrooms with the 'Vitamin D' sticker, as they have been exposed to UV light. The normal ones, grown in the dark, have none.

My late mother was vit D deficient as are many of her age and generation. She was a red haired Scot with pale skin. I first noticed when a nasty gash on her leg wouldn't heal, also she completely lost her appetite. A quick check online suggested vit d deficiency, a blood test confirmed it. She had to have injections every 3 months which she said were painful, but the changes within a week of each injection were marked.

I'm quite glad that, simply by chance, I've been taking Vitamin D for some time now.

I have a scientist friend who works in this field. She’s been banging on for years about people taking Vit D supplements in winter.

Dh and I have been taking 25mcg tablets for months as we’ve had such a lousy summer in this part of Scotland.

No need to pay extra for mushrooms with the Vitamin D sticker from M&S and others. Just buy mushrooms and put them on the windowsill to absorb light.

The unhelpful thing is everyone is giving different levels Of Vit D tablets and different ways of recording those levels and the NHS level is different again
My friend was told by her doctor that she was Vit D low and to buy some over the counter tablets her daughter sent for some strong ones online believIng she was doing her mum a favour 3 months down the line aftera blood test for something else her doctor called her in and told her to stop them immediately she was on the wedge of poisoning herself
So do be careful everyone and don’t think stronger is necessarily best

Apparently darker skin does not absorb and process vitamin D as well as lighter skin (as per Dr John Campbell).

So, the vitamin D deficiencies in darker skinned people is nothing to do with them keeping out of the sun - and it isn't because muslim women are completely covered either!

I believe the recommendation is 12.5 ug or 500 iu

Dontmind sorry to argue but it is to do with clothes and the watery sun in countries like U.K. because dark skin takes much higher sun levels to penetrate the melanin and many Muslim women are very light skinned so if you put that and their clothes together you have your answer they have no ability to absorb any additional Vit D on top of already probably having low levels

I was told ( by someone I can't mention who had access to research papers but not able to officially advise due to it being against government guidelines) to take vitamin D every day back in February because it helps immunity.

I've been chatting to BAME shop workers and Security guards and all of them have really appreciated the advice. Many of them already knew they needed extra vitamin D and were already taking it.

Back in February, I mentioned it online (can't remember if it was on GNet or not) and been shot down in flames because apparently the government would be telling us to take it if it was necessary! Our government? Save lives? Hmmmm....

If it helps anyone, apparently the liqui tabs are best absorbed by the body.