HOUSTON – Vitamin D has been used during the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Many people are taking it to prevent severe infections and some believe it could help strengthen their immune system to improve the vaccine’s efficacy.
Vitamin D injections
During the pandemic, Neumed Urgent Care + IV Therapy in The Heights say people are coming in specifically for injections of the vitamin. The clinic also treats their COVID patients with vitamin D injections.
Patients like Sydney Jin said it gave immediate results.
“I was having severe chills and body aches. So, I decided ‘hey why not’ and decided to get it and felt much better,” Jin explained.
While many vaccine skeptics think simple steps like this can keep a severe infection at bay, Jin is proof that’s not always true. He’s an athlete, very healthy and still got sick. Although, he’s now recovered and fully vaccinated, he said he plans on continuing vitamin D injections because he wants to use it as one of many tools to stay healthy.
“I just felt better. No reason to change something after you feel better,” Jin said.
How bad is a vitamin D deficiency?
According to the NIH, among the people who get severely sick with COVID-19 are people with vitamin D deficiency, which is very common.
Nurse practitioner, Victoria Bhagat said the deficiency is particularly tough in communities of color and diabetics.
“In South Asian communities, African American communities, we’re seeing up to 100% deficiencies,” Bhagat said.
Bhagat said vitamin D will not cure an infection but it will give your immune system the help it needs to fight off an infection.
“What we’re learning, Vitamin D receptors exist on our immune cells,” Bhagat said. “When we are deficient, these immune cells start to be compromised in function. They either start to dysfunction or are compromised in their optimal function which makes us more susceptible for infection. When we do acquire infection we have a more exaggerated response, consequences, and a prolonged recovery.”
Hardly anybody can get enough sun to reap the benefits of vitamin D through natural absorption.
You don’t really store the vitamin so you need a constant supply and there aren’t many foods that are rich in Vitamin D, so it’s difficult to get adequate amounts.
Some people theorize that a healthy immune system will help the COVID vaccine work better. The extent of the benefits of the vaccine is still being studied.
You can take too much Vitamin D
Dr. Dian Ginsberg recommends 2,000 IUs if you get plenty of sunshine. If you don’t get much sun at all, she said to take 4,000 IUs.