COVID-19: One supplement you can’t afford to skip

If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, then you know how strongly I feel about vitamin D.

It’s quite possibly the most essential nutrient there is—one that’s crucial to so many of our body’s vital processes. And its role in immune and respiratory health is particularly valuable now, in the age of COVID-19.

So it’s a good thing that at least the British have recognized this. And that they’ve gone so far as to recommend that everyone should supplement with vitamin D (not just at-risk groups) during this ongoing pandemic.

Unfortunately, however, their recommendation also missed the point entirely…

Laughable logic

Let’s start with some context: A recent study showed that vitamin D might help the body fight off respiratory infections—leading the researchers to conclude that supplementing with vitamin D every day might be one way to guard against severe cases of COVID-19.

But guess who made this recommendation right out the gate? That’s right—yours truly. It was among my first recommendations when coronavirus came on the scene, before a pandemic was even declared.

So I’m pleased to see a study like this making press. What puzzles me though, is that the National Health Service (NHS) felt it necessary to make clear this was not the reason they’re promoting vitamin D supplementation now.

I often quote the NHS’s health ideas because usually, their government is much more reasonable. But not this time. Would you like to know why they’re recommending vitamin D now?

Because, due to the quarantine, people won’t be able to get vitamin D from the sun! Needless to say, this gave me a good laugh on several levels.

For starters, have you ever been to the U.K.? They’re not exactly known for their sunny weather. In fact, they’re at such a high latitude that the sun wouldn’t even come close to providing a sufficient supply of vitamin D until the high summer months, anyway.

Even then, you have to consider the natural pigmentation of so many of the country’s residents, which would make avid sun-seeking riskier than it might otherwise be. (And I say this as someone who believes that our modern obsession with sunscreen borders on unhealthy.)

“Sufficient” isn’t good enough

Keep in mind that, in order to get the necessary amount of vitamin D in your body, you must expose most of your skin to the sun for at least 20 minutes daily with no sunscreen. (We’re talking about bathing or birthday suits here, folks.)

Even then, you’d also have to live in South Florida or the very Southern part of Texas to skip a vitamin D supplement altogether.

Which is why I recommend everyone takes a vitamin D supplement each day. And you need a lot more than the measly 400 IU the NHS is recommending as “sufficient”…

I always recommend at least 2,000 to 5,000 IU of D3 daily—and most people will need more to reach an optimal vitamin D blood level. (Which is closer to 80 ng/mL—a far cry from the 30 ng/mL your typical doctor considers adequate.)

I take 10,000 IU daily myself. And as long as your blood levels are screened regularly, that’s a perfectly safe—and in many cases, necessary—dosage to get you where you need to be.

With that said, I’d like to wrap up this week with one bit of encouraging news. As New York City continues testing and studying this virus more, the latest numbers appear to estimate its mortality rate to be about 0.5 percent. Now, that’s still double the mortality rate of the flu, so clearly, it’s premature to celebrate.

But it is a lot lower than earlier predictions, when this COVID-19 first hit. And it definitely bodes well for a more manageable recovery—however long that takes.

Of course, this may not end up being the final number. So keep staying tuned… I’ll be interpreting the madness that’s out there in the media for as long as these unpredictable times continue.

P.S. Tune in this Sunday, May 17^th at 3PM-EST as I host a live Longevity Summit. During this exclusive event, I’ll discuss the rejuvenating promise of my new anti-aging protocol, and how you can feel better than ever with each passing year. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today. Click here now!

Source:

“Public Health England extends Vitamin D supplement advice during lockdown.” Nutraingredients.com, 04/23/2020. (nutraingredients.com/Article/2020/04/23/Public-Health-England-extends-Vitamin-D-supplement-advice-during-lockdown)