End corona woes with Sun exposure
Tuesday, 30th June 2020
Are you interested in soaking the sun? Do you love the idea of a sun tan or sun bath? Then that’s good news for you! Recently researchers have discovered that sun beams and the Vitamin D from it could repel the deadly coronavirus. Why actually was the COVID-19 death toll more in countries like Spain & Italy than in Norway, Denmark & Finland? Why were the Minority Ethnics, Blacks & Asians killed more than the Whites in UK due to COVID? Did you ever think?
Across the last 5 months, researchers in various countries of the globe have discovered a connection between the COVID-19 severity and deficiency of Vitamin D.
As per recent scientific findings, “Some scientists believe that people with vitamin D deficiencies have weak or abnormal immune responses that make them more susceptible to developing Covid-19 and experiencing severe symptoms,”
(The New York Times)
Analysis of research results from 25 varied studies showed that the subjects who were administered vitamin D had 12% lesser risk of getting respiratory tract infections when compared to the ones who were given placebos. Recently, researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine have discovered that people with Vitamin D deficiency are about 77% more prone to getting Covid-19 when compared to the people who do not have that deficiency.
Many Coronavirus patients develop a fatal condition referred to as ‘acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When they get this condition, they’ll have blood leaking out of their blood vessels and that prevents the lungs from getting inflated with sufficient oxygen. According to USA Today, a 2015 scientific research had already established a connection between ARDS and vitamin D deficiency.
“Taking vitamin D to mitigate the threat of Covid-19 was one of the earliest suggestions to come from virus researchers in China,” wrote James Hamblin in the magazine ‘The Atlantic’. He also informed that researchers at the Northwestern University said, “in general, people in countries with high Covid-19 mortality rates had lower levels of vitamin D compared with patients in countries that were not as severely affected.”
‘D’- Defense
Hamblin says that Vitamin D, unlike other Vitamin types, is “not really a nutrient, but a hormone,” He further says that “Our own skin manufactures the compound when exposed to sunlight.” But in what way does this absolutely free of cost tonic defend you against diseases?
An article on BBC says that the Vitamin D not only protects your body against viral and bacterial invasion but also gives your protection against various types of autoimmune disorders. It reads: “Vitamin D enables the macrophages in our lungs — a first line of defence against respiratory infections – to spew out an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin, killing bacteria and viruses directly.”
It is also said to reduce interleukin-6 levels in the body. The biochemical; interleukin-6 results in inflammation and is linked with severe breathing trouble that COVID-19 patients usually suffer from.
The problem in India
India happens to be sunny all year round but still most of the Indians are deficient in Vitamin D as per a 2018 research publication. The paper reads: “The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency ranged from 40% to 99%, with most of the studies reporting a prevalence of 80-90%.”
There are several reasons for this but one major reason is ‘indoor lifestyle. In Spain and Italy too people follow the same kind of lifestyle.
Having dark skin is a disadvantage too. USA Today says in this regard:“Black people and others with darker skin pigmentation tend to have more melanin, which reduces the body’s ability to produce vitamin D,”
This perhaps explains why people with dark skin suffer from respiratory issues more than those with white skin. An article in the journal The Lancet reads: “During the 2009/2010 influenza H1N1 pandemic, those of non-White ethnicity experienced a higher mortality rate compared to White populations in England,”
Time for Action
Vitamin D comes free and cheap. Not paying enough attention to the studies would be an offense if later the truth emerges that our health and longevity depend on it. A report from The Guardian informed that in Scotland and England, the health authorities are “assessing emerging evidence to see whether the so-called sunshine nutrient should be prescribed in hospitals and to high-risk groups to mitigate a second wave of Covid-19.”
The authorities have already suggested that people should soak 10 Micrograms of this vital vitamin daily as most have been staying indoors due to lockdown and corona fear. The government of Scotland has recommended “10-15 minutes of unprotected (without sunscreen) sun exposure” for the people.
It’s high time that you too realize the importance of sun exposure and do the same.
Source: Speaking Tree