What is the new advice on Vitamin D?
Public Health England are urging the public to take Vitamin D supplements as they are spending more time indoors due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Most of us would normally get our Vitamin D from sunlight, typically from late March to late September.
Now, the NHS are advising people to take 10 micrograms of the vitamin a day to ensure healthy bones and muscles. Public Health England (PHE) previously recommended everyone should take a 10mcg of vitamin D during the autumn and winter months. However with Britain in lockdown, and many vulnerable people self isolating, the public have been advised to continue to take Vitamin D supplements over the next few weeks.
Is there a link between COVID-19 and Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is produced in the skin from UVB sunlight exposure and is transported to the liver and then the kidney, where it is changed into an active hormone that increases calcium transport from food in the gut – ensuring the bones are kept healthy and strong. However, the sunshine vitamin has recently been studied for its efficacy in aiding the resistance against respiratory infections, with some researchers claiming that Vitamin D intake could help lower the severity of Coronavirus symptoms. An article published in the Irish Medical Journal recommends adults to take 20-50mcg in order to receive these benefits. The study showed that countries at a lower latitude had low concentrations of Vitamin D and high rates of Vitamin D deficiency. These countries (such as Spain and Italy) also experienced the highest infection and death rates from Coronavirus.
Researchers of this study propose that, while increasing intake of Vitamin D levels will benefit bone health, evidence shows that Vitamin D is likely to reduce serious COVID-19 complications. They found a strong correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and a complication known as a cytokine storm, which occurs when the immune system goes into overdrive. A lead author of the study stated, “Cytokine storm can severely damage lungs and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death in patients. This is what seems to kill a majority of COVID-19 patients, not the destruction of the lungs by the virus itself.”
At HTC, we supply a range of Vitamin D supplements, both in tablet soft shell format. The Vitamin D3 2,000iu formulation comes in vegetarian capsules, manufactured using a patented technology, where the outer soft shell is made of carrageenan algae, making this product, together with our Vitamin D3 tablets, suitable for vegetarians.
For more information on any of our lines or for a free instant quote, please contact our sales team now on 01923 652529 or email sales@htc.co.uk.
*Claims for food supplements mentioned in this article are not meant for general public, but are purely for information of food supplement industry professionals. Please note that the claims are not authorised by European Food Safety Authority for use on labels or marketing materials.