Sun supplement
New Zealand Listener|May 27 - June 2 2023
Taking vitamin D in winter may give at-risk groups an immune boost as well as helping bone health.
Jennifer Bowden
Sun supplement

Question: Do we need vitamin D supplements during winter? Or is sun exposure sufficient?

Answer: Vitamin D has long been known for its essential role in bone metabolism and the prevention of rickets. Recent evidence suggests vitamin D also modulates our immune response to infectious diseases. For example, vitamin D status has been linked to the severity and frequency of respiratory infections in children.

So, should we be focused on optimising our vitamin D status as a tool in our battle against the Covid-19 virus this winter? Low vitamin D status was associated with increased hospitalisation and mortality from Covid-19, but not with the chances of being infected with the disease, in a meta-analysis published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition last year. This meta-analysis was a compilation of observational studies, so cannot prove a causal link between vitamin D status and Covid infection severity. But a recent US study compared the risk of Covid infection and severe outcomes among a group of war veterans who were already receiving vitamin D supplements with veterans who were not receiving them. The retrospective analysis found supplementation reduced the risk of infection by 20-28% and mortality by 25-33%.

DIETARY SOURCES

Vitamin D is found in small amounts in foods such as oily fish (eg, salmon, tuna, sardines, eel and warehou), milk and milk products, eggs and liver. Some margarines, spreads, dairy substitutes and liquid meal replacements contain added vitamin D.

Notably, those veterans with the lowest vitamin D status had the most substantial benefit from supplementation. It appears, then, that optimising our vitamin D status may reduce the risk and severity of a Covid-19 infection this winter.

Esta historia es de la edición May 27 - June 2 2023 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición May 27 - June 2 2023 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE NEW ZEALAND LISTENERVer todo
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024