As researchers and doctors from all around the world have been looking for an effective treatment for the novel Coronavirus caused disease, COVID-19, a new study has revealed that vitamin D supplements can be effective in decreasing the rate of SARS-CoV-2 related intensive care unit (ICU) admissions.
It is the first randomized clinical control trial of its kind that was conducted on 76 patients with COVID-19 in Spain. For the research, the Coronavirus patients were split into two groups. Both groups had received the same medical treatment based on hospital protocol.
One group also get a daily Calcifediol supplement—also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D—but, they stopped taking them after they got discharged from the hospital. As per research from the European Society of Endocrinology, the supplement is a metabolite of vitamin D which appears in the blood and may help determine future health risks.
The new study, published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said that the supplement receiving group was made up of 50 people, and only one was admitted to the intensive care unit. In addition, the research found that all of the patients in the vitamin D receiving group were discharged without complication or death from the Coronavirus.
The researchers also noted that out of 26 patients in the controlled group, 13 patients were admitted to the ICU, and among those 13, two people died and the other 11 were eventually discharged from the hospital.
Vitamin D is a Coronavirus Cure?
This is a complicated question as there is a need for further research on the effectiveness of vitamin D. But the new study has shown a strong potential correlation between the supplementation and a decrease in the severity of COVID-19 effects.
The study authors write that "Our pilot study demonstrated that administration of a high dose of Calcifediol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main metabolite of vitamin D endocrine system, significantly reduced the need for ICU treatment of patients requiring hospitalization due to proven COVID-19."
However, those who are deficient in vitamin D are at an increased risk of developing age-related brain diseases, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders. Regardless of its effect to cure COVID-19, vitamin D is critical for overall health.
