Various studies suggest that vitamin D has an effect on the resistance to the corona virus. People already seem to be responding to this, because from a tour of Heart of the Netherlands through several major outlets, it appears that the sale of the supplements has increased significantly during this period. But does it really help against the corona virus?
The vitamin plays a major role in a properly functioning immune system and is obtained through sunlight and foods such as fatty fish, meat and eggs. If you don’t get enough vitamin D this way, you can also supplement it with supplements.
Sales are increasing
There is a cry from various quarters to take vitamin D against the corona virus. People also seem to increasingly replenish their pantry with jars of supplements of the conscious vitamin. Drugstore chain Kruidvat says that its sales have increased by 15 percent since the summer. Last week sales of vitamin D were even thirty percent higher than last year.
Drugstore chain Etos also says it sees a “significant increase” in the sales of vitamin D compared to last year. “Especially in the early months of the corona period, and now again,” said a spokesman.
At Bol.com they also notice that two weeks ago, 2.6 times more was searched for vitamin D than five months before. Last week that was even 4.3 times as much.
Does vitamin D work against corona?
But is it right now that we stock more and more vitamin D? The Nutrition Center says that vitamin D is important for the proper functioning of the immune system, but “scientific advisory committees for nutrition within and outside Europe conclude that it has not been sufficiently demonstrated whether (extra) vitamin D reduces the risk of infections.”
On her website explains the Nutrition Center that studies so far still show too many different results. “Whether a vitamin D supplement helps to prevent infections will first have to be demonstrated in a good systematic manner.”
Too early to judge
Leon van den Toorn, chairman of the pulmonologists association NVALT, says that there does seem to be an effect of a vitamin D deficiency on getting infections. “Suppose a deficiency of vitamin D affects getting COVID-19, it would be good for people with a deficiency to supplement those vitamins,” he says.
He refers to one research this shows that vitamin D reduces the chance that you will end up in the ICU. But, he also says, it is too early to say whether vitamin D should be included in the treatment of the coronavirus. “We cannot rule out that there is an effect on corona, especially in people with a vitamin D deficiency. But that is not hard.”
– .
