The Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has affected people all over the world. It is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In December 2019, the virus was initially identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and it quickly spread around the world. Fever, significant asthenia, and a dry cough are common symptoms, which can escalate to more serious presentations such as deadly acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS).
The majority of infected patients suffer from mild to moderate respiratory infection and recover without the need for specific treatment. Some persons who are infected have serious illnesses and require medical intervention. Old aged people are at high risk for covid-19 infection. Pneumonia, myocarditis, ARDS, and inflammation in which the body responds quickly to invaders, destroying its own immune cells, influence the severity of Covid-19.
People with underlying medical disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, or cancer are more prone to experience serious illness.1 Apart from all these medical conditions, in a recent genomics-guided tracing of the Covid-19 targets in humans, vitamin D supplementation was found as one of the top-scoring substances suggesting probable infection reducing patterns.
Vitamin D Supplementation Reduces Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome (Ards) In Lungs:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a membrane protein expressed particularly in lung cells. It helps the body from inflammatory damages. In contrast, coronavirus binds to ACE2 receptors to gain entry in a cell. This process causes downregulation of ACE2 and helps coronavirus to invade the cells and causes severe respiratory illness.2
The effect of Vitamin D supplementation towards respiratory illness has shown good response. A study carried out on mice with chronic ARDS showed that administration of Vitamin D has decreased the symptoms of the illness. It was seen that Vitamin D on administration showed increased expression of ACE2 and thereby moderating the chronic symptoms.3
Vitamin D Has Anti-inflammatory Effects:
The activation of the immune system's inflammatory pathways is required for a normal antiviral immune response. When immune cells come into contact with pathogens, they create cytokines also known as pro-inflammatory cytokines which are secretory proteins. These cytokines aid in the removal of infectious particles, decreasing injury. If this immune system's response is abnormal, it can cause severe disease if left unchecked.4
Vitamin D supplementation (800-1000 IU) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to its role in calcium metabolism. The effects of vitamin D on a highly triggered immunological response were investigated in a study. Vitamin D has been discovered to decrease cytokine synthesis in immune cells. Vitamin D activity may be crucial in preventing Covid-19 infection, as patients with severe Covid-19 sickness have been found to have Vitamin D deficiencies. The severity of Covid-19 infection rises due to immune cells' aggressive secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to infection. This implies that vitamin D supplementation may assist patients cope with the cytokine storm that is common in Covid-19 infection.5
Vitamin D Has Antiviral Activity:
Vitamin D is necessary for proper local immune responses to respiratory viral infections. Vitamin D generated by lung epithelium could lead to increased expression of antimicrobial peptides (such as cathelicidin and defensin in adjacent immune cells). There is evidence that cathelicidin has antiviral activity against influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus infections (RSV) by binding to virus, which leads to disruption of the virus envelope.6 This direct antiviral activity of Vitamin D may be helpful against enveloped viruses like Coronavirus.
Vitamin D Stabilize Physical Barriers On Human Cell:
Physical barriers are made up of tightly packed cells that keep invaders (such as viruses) from reaching organs which are infection-prone. Tight junctions, gap junctions, and adherens junctions are examples of these barriers. Vitamin D has been shown to help to the stability of all of these junctions, despite viruses affecting their integrity and invading the tissue (physical barriers).7
Based on these findings, a COVID-19 randomised control trial has compared the effect of high-dose vitamin D against conventional dose on 14-day mortality in COVID-19 older patients. In rescue patients with severe Vitamin D deficiency, high-dose oral vitamin D3 treatment has been proven to reduce short-term mortality. Oral vitamin D supplementation at dosages up to 10,000 IU/day for short periods of time is regarded as safe, especially in older persons, who are most affected by Vitamin D deficiency and should receive at least 1,500 IU of vitamin D daily to maintain adequate vitamin D status.8
The ability of people's skin to manufacture vitamin D3 reduces as they age, leaving them more susceptible to vitamin D3 deficiency. This could explain why elderly people are at such a high risk of contracting COVID-19. Vitamin D deficiency, as well as other medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, can all be considered risk factors for the severity of COVID-19. Considering the lack of a particular treatment for COVID-19 and the safety of vitamin D supplementation9, these findings would support the use of vitamin D supplements as a COVID-19 adjacent treatment.
Why Is iThrive Essential’s Vitamin D3 Supplement Better & Effective Than All Other Otc Supplements?
iTHRIVE Essential’s vitamin D3 capsules contain vitamin K2 and the synergistic link between the two vitamins is critical. According to recent studies, vitamin K2 aids in the absorption of calcium provided by vitamin D3 in the bones without enabling calcium to build up in the arteries.10 Pure medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil derived from coconut oil is also included. It's a type of fat that our bodies can easily absorb and convert to energy. MCT has also been shown to increase the amount of energy consumed by your muscles.11 It can aid in the production of ketones, a carb-free energy source for the brain. MCT can also be used to cure and relieve skin infections. MCT contains lauric acid, which acts as an antibacterial, destroying bacteria and viruses by breaking down their walls.12 The iTHRIVE Essential’s Vitamin D3 capsule is liquid-filled which is launched for the first time in the Indian market. These capsules absorb more quickly than ordinary powder-filled tablets, allowing them to act more quickly. The coating of a liquid-filled capsule may be broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream in a matter of minutes, but a powder-filled capsule can take 20-30 minutes as tablet medicines must first be entirely broken down. For this reason, liquid-filled capsules are generally considered to be faster-acting. iTHRIVE Essential’s Vitamin D3 is created with the intention of providing all of the benefits required.
References:
- https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33389262/
- http://wprim.whocc.org.cn/admin/article/articleDetail?WPRIMID=515341&articleId=515341&fbclid=IwAR2mDwMTNZ_GsWRk6flTCPDvSJhKD-4Ll8HsO6-Sm-5vAHtXp69wegcf31M
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01446/full#:~:text=COVID%2D19%20infection%20is%20accompanied,in%20an%20excessive%20inflammatory%20reaction
- https://www.jimmunol.org/content/188/5/2127#sec-18
- https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.045013-0
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cei.13042
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04344041
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7832241/#!po=38.8889
- https://drlaraweightloss.com/2020/11/why-should-i-take-vitamin-d3-with-vitamin-k2/
- https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/food-drink/nutrition/mct-oil-uses-and-benefits/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/mct-oil-health-benefits-common-uses#1
