We’ve often talked about the importance of vitamins, how essential they are for our bodies, and how important it is to incorporate them into our daily routines.
But you should know that there’s one special vitamin—one that’s “rarer” than the others. It’s Vitamin D.

Why is it rare?

You may have already read, inone of our articlesfrom a few months ago, that our bodies don’t produce enough vitamins on their own. So you probably also know that to get enough vitamins each day, we need to get them from our diet or, if necessary, through supplements. “No problem,” you might say. “Just follow a balanced diet.” But actually, no!

Vitamin D defies these paradigms because it is found only in very small amounts in a limited group of foods. Its main distinctive feature is that it is synthesized almost entirely in the skin through exposure to sunlight.
Unfortunately, summer has just come to an end, and with it the time of year when we have the best chance of synthesizing this vitamin. On a July day, just 20 minutes of sunbathing would be enough to meet our daily requirement; when the sun makes fewer appearances, the situation becomes more complicated.

For the immune system and in the fight against COVID-19.

Within our metabolism, vitamin D regulates blood calcium levels and is responsible for the mineralization of bones and teeth. It is also an important ally of the immune system, as it protects the heart, arteries, and body tissues. For this reason, a deficiency of this vitamin can lead to muscle weakness and an increased risk of osteoporosis. But that’s not all…

Several studies were conducted during the first COVID-19 pandemic, and many are still ongoing.
It has recently been observed that most patients hospitalized for severe SARS-CoV symptoms had high levels of vitamin D deficiency. This is especially true among the elderly, who spend most of their days at home during the winter.

In this regard, the recommendation from G.I.O.S.E.G. (Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis Skeletal Endocrinology Group) is that vitamin D supplements be administered to “individuals over 65 of both sexes with comorbidities, such as diabetes or obesity” —conditions that predispose individuals to vitamin D deficiency and severe COVID-19 complications. In fact, for those over 80, the recommendation is to start or continue taking vitamin D, “regardless of circulating levels.” 

The studies are obviously still ongoing, and it will take some time before precise guidelines on the therapeutic effect of vitamin D against COVID-19 are established. In general, our advice is to incorporate this vitamin into your daily routine, regardless of your age. This is because, in addition to reducing the risk of COVID-19 complications, it helps strengthen our body’s natural defenses by stimulating the activity of T cells (the cells in our body responsible for recognizing and eliminating viruses). This way, we’ll be better prepared to handle whatever challenges winter may bring.