We have often talked about the importance of vitamins, how vital they are to our bodies and how important it is to incorporate them into our routine.
But you should know that there is one special vitamin. More "rare" than the others. It is Vitamin D.

Why rare?

You may have already read in one of our articles a few months ago that vitamins are not synthesized sufficiently by our bodies. So you will also know that in order to achieve a sufficient daily intake we need to supplement them through diet or, possibly, the use of supplements. That's all right, you'll say. Just follow a balanced diet. But no!

Vitamin D escapes these paradigms because it is found only in very small amounts within a small group of foods. Its main peculiarity is that it is synthesized almost entirely in the skin, through exposure to sunlight.
Unfortunately, we have just left summer behind, and also the time of year when we have the greatest opportunity to synthesize this vitamin. On a July day we would only need 20 minutes of sunbathing to reach our daily requirement; when the sun peeps out more rarely the situation becomes more complicated.

For the immune system and in the fight against Covid.

Within our metabolism, Vitamin D regulates blood calcium levels and is responsible for mineralization of bones and teeth. It is also an important ally of the immune system because it protects the heart, arteries and body tissues. Therefore, deficiency of this vitamin can lead to weakened muscles and an increased risk of osteoporosis. But that's not all.

Several studies were carried out during the first Covid pandemic and many are ongoing to this day.
Recently it was observed that most patients hospitalized for severe symptoms from SARS- CoV showed high levels of hypovitaminosis D. This is especially the case in the elderly who spend most of the winter at home.

In this regard, the recommendation from the Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis Skeletal Endocrinology Group (G.I.O.S.E.G.) is that Vitamin D supplements be given to "subjects over 65 of either sex with comorbidities, such as diabetes or obesity" - conditions that predispose to hypovitaminosis and severe Covid consequences. Even, for those over 80, the advice is to start or continue taking Vitamin D, "regardless of circulating level ."

Studies are, of course, still being defined, and it will be some time before precise indications of the therapeutic effect of Vitamin D against Covid are established. In general, our advice is to include this vitamin within one's routine at any age. Because, in addition to avoiding the risk of complications from Covid, it helps to strengthen our body's natural defenses by stimulating the action of T lymphocytes (the cells in our body in charge of recognizing and eradicating viruses from our bodies). In this way we will be better prepared to face any eventuality that winter may present to us.