Can vitamin D protect against corona infection? Researchers question studies

A vitamin D deficiency is said to have a negative effect on the course of a corona infection. There are studies on this. However, experts doubt this.

Update from Friday, February 12th, 2021, 5:32 p.m.: Vitamin D strengthens the immune system. In recent months, scientists and doctors have repeatedly claimed that a deficiency even promotes a corona infection and worsens the course of the disease. Accordingly, many patients were advised to take vitamin D tablets daily. But be careful: It can quickly lead to a dangerous overdose .

According to a report by the Tagesschau , the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommends a maximum daily amount of 800 iU (international unit) in food supplements. An overdose of vitamin D can cause massive side effects such as nausea , headaches , cardiac arrhythmias , depression and permanent organ damage . In addition, there is still no reliable evidence for the claim that vitamin D protects against the corona virus.

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The Federal Institute for Risk Assessments and the German Nutrition Society point out that the current studies have not yet provided any valuable information. Therefore, one should not rely on a regular vitamin D intake really protecting against Covid-19 infection .

Study: This is how vitamin D deficiency influences the course of corona

Update from Monday, January 4th, 2021, 12:45 p.m.: Especially in winter, the lack of vitamin D is increased in many people, as many people stay in closed rooms and hardly go outside.

Some studies have already indicated that a vitamin D deficiency could affect and even worsen the course of the coronavirus. A current study from Indonesia has now examined the course of the disease and the vitamin D status of a total of 780 corona patients.

Corona infection and vitamin D deficiency: researchers determine higher risk of death

The researchers found that deficiency resulted in a significantly increased risk of death. As the German Press Agency (dpa) reports, the risk of a fatal course is 19 times higher than normal vitamin D levels. Health expert of the SPD, Karl Lauterbach, these results are hardly surprising – he already explained on Twitter that a vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system and the course of the disease is negatively influenced by Covid-19.

In another study , 212 corona infected people were divided into groups based on the severity of the disease (mild, average, severe and critical) and the vitamin D values were examined in more detail. The result of this study shows: the lower the vitamin D value, the more severe the disease. With this finding, it was finally possible to confirm that vitamin D has a significant influence on the course of Covid 19 disease .

Vitamin D deficiency can promote severe corona disease

Update from Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 3:19 p.m.: Does vitamin D help against corona ? Some studies suggest that a vitamin D deficiency could favor a severe course of Covid-19. According to the Robert Koch Institute, older people, especially those who live in nursing homes, are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. Among other things, because they are immobile, chronically ill or in need of care. But the self-production of vitamin D also decreases with age.

On the other hand, taking large amounts of vitamin D to protect against corona is not advisable, because excessive intake of vitamin D can lead to poisoning . The reason: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and can be stored in fat and muscle tissue. If the dose of vitamin D is too high, an increased “calcium level (hypercalcemia) occurs in the body, which can acutely lead to nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, vomiting or, in severe cases, kidney damage, cardiac arrhythmias, unconsciousness and death”, according to the RKI.

According to the RKI, poisoning is only possible through high-dose medication, high consumption of fortified foods or a combination of the variants. If you want to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency , you can find out by doing a blood test at the doctor’s. A corona study shows that many sick people only have an inconspicuous complaint.

Does vitamin D protect against a severe corona course?

Update from Tuesday, November 17, 2020, 1:04 p.m.: How much does a vitamin D deficiency affect the course of a corona disease ? Scientists still disagree. Several studies indicate that many patients with severe Covid-19 illnesses also suffered from a vitamin D deficiency.

The UK government appears to be convinced of these studies. As the British newspaper The Guardian reports, the government around Prime Minister Boris Johnson apparently wants to recommend the use of dietary supplements. Risk groups should also receive free vitamin supplements. This is already the case in Scotland.

Is that also an option for Germany? Many Germans suffer from a deficiency of the so-called “sun vitamin”. According to studies by the Robert Koch Institute , “30.2% of adults are insufficiently supplied with vitamin D. 38.4% of adults achieve adequate care. ”The study is from 2016 and was published in the“ Journal of Health Monitoring ”.

Corona and vitamin D: researchers discover possible connections

Update from Wednesday, November 4th, 2020, 11.00 a.m.: Vitamin D tablets against corona ? Studies show an alleged connection between a severe and even fatal course of Covid-19 disease and a lack of vitamin D. But does this really lead to the conclusion that vitamin D deficiency is a cause of such a dire course of the disease? Or is it just a symptom?

A recent study from Spain shows that around 80 percent of Covid 19 patients treated in hospital also suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. It remains unclear, however, whether the vitamin D deficiency is the cause of the more severe Covid course, whether it favors it or whether the deficiency only arose as a result of the coronavirus infection. The study was published in the “Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”.

Do vitamin D supplements help against corona disease?

The assumption that taking vitamin D preparations could help against the coronavirus has been circulating since the outbreak of the pandemic – in WhatsApp chain letters and other social networks. Not what should be classed as a reliable source.

The German health portal, a startup that promises to make the latest scientific findings accessible in understandable language, has reported on such a study. The original title is: “Association of Vitamin D Status and Other Clinical Characteristics With Covid-19 Test Results”. In the study, vitamin D deficiency was linked to a higher risk of Covid-19 disease.

New study on corona and vitamin D deficiency

Hans K. Biesalski from the University of Hohenheim and his team compared 30 studies and found a possible link between a lack of vitamin D and a severe course of Covid-19 *. As a result, the risk of developing severe coronavirus is higher for people with low vitamin D levels than for people with normal levels.

But this is exactly the pitfall, because such a connection does not mean that a vitamin D deficiency is a cause of a severe Covid-19 course. Because many underlying diseases are associated with a deficiency in vitamin D and older people also increasingly show such a deficiency. Both are among the risk groups for Corona .

Corona and vitamin D deficiency: Older people particularly often suffer from vitamin D deficiency

The “Robert Koch Institute” lists the following groups as risk groups for a vitamin D deficiency:

Accordingly, vitamin D deficiency is a symptom and side effect of the underlying vulnerability, but not a cause of a particularly severe course of Covid-19 . Because people with vitamin D deficiency are often in the risk group for infectious diseases. This means that tips on swallowing vitamin D supplements in order not to contract Covid-19 are negligent. The source for this is a report by SWR3.

Vitamin D: important for the immune system and health – and possibly with a corona infection

Nonetheless, vitamin D is important for health and the immune system. According to the Robert Koch Institute , the formation of vitamin D is only possible from March to October, i.e. in the light months. In order to counteract a deficiency in vitamin D all year round, the RKI recommends “to take precautions” for the winter months, because the body can not only meet the acute need, but also create reserves for the winter months.

According to the RKI, you should expose your face, hands and arms to the sun two to three times a week between March and October, uncovered and without sun protection. Half the time in which sunburn could otherwise occur is sufficient. Because if you stay in the sun for a long time, it is essential to ensure sun protection.

Corona and vitamin D: study apparently shows connection

According to the RKI, another possibility – if a healthy vitamin D level is not given by self-production or diet – is dietary supplements. According to the RKI, this restriction is essential because too high a vitamin D intake can lead to an overdose – poisoning that can lead to nausea, vomiting, but also serious consequences such as kidney damage, cardiac arrhythmias, unconsciousness or even death.

So far it has been said that pregnant women do not belong to the corona risk group *. Wrong assumption? Long-term consequences for babies are now feared. (Katharina Ahnefeld, Alina Schröder and Diana Rissmann) * hna.de and merkur.de are part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network.

List of rubric lists: © Frank Rumpenhorst / dpa