Daily Defense

VITAMIN D’S POINT-OF-FASCINATION STATUS IS NEXT LEVEL, THANKS TO THE RESEARCH ON ITS IMMUNITY EFFECTS. AHEAD, WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POPPING IT FOR ENHANCED WELLNESS.

- Amy Marturana Winderl

There are more than 90,000 supplements currently on the market. So to argue that one is the *most* popular is a pretty bold statement. And if we were to take a poll in this day and age? You’d probably guess that CBD or collagen are leading the game. But the true alpha nutrient is actually a total classic: vitamin D.

Over the years, the sunshine vitamin, as it is often dubbed, has been connected to a slew of potential health benefits ranging from immune function to gut health. The latest: It might improve muscle recovery and even help boost VO 2 max, possibly due to its inflammation quelling qualities, suggests newer research. (A recent scientific review classified D as a hot trend in sports nutrition—pretty sweet!)

To be clear, there are still a lot of unknowns in this space. But D’s unique role in the immune system is what cemented its place in the spotlight this past year. A huge-if-true relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 infection was uncovered via a study in Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Researchers noted that groups of people who are more prone to severe cases of COVID-19 and mortality— people with diabetes, chronic lung disease, and cardiovascular disease, as well as the elderly—also tend to have low vitamin D levels.

While a definitive link between deficiency and COVID hasn’t been proven, all of this has reignited a larger conversation among scientists (and wellness-interested consumers): Can low vitamin D levels lead to illness? And to take things a step further, will supplementing help you avoid getting run down—and potentially leave you in stronger shape over the long haul?