{"id":110961,"date":"2021-01-24T18:59:05","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T01:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=110961"},"modified":"2021-01-24T18:59:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T01:59:05","slug":"please-take-vitamin-d-to-protect-against-covid-19-say-irish-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/01\/24\/please-take-vitamin-d-to-protect-against-covid-19-say-irish-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"Please take Vitamin D to protect against Covid-19, say Irish experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOUISE WALSH Courtesy breakingnews.ie<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Please
Prof. Rose Anne Kenny, principal investigator at TILDA. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Please take vitamin D to help protect against Covid-19 while the vaccine is being rolled out \u2014 this is the urgent message from a group of Irish medical experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experts from Ireland’s leading universities have appealed to the Government to issue updated guidelines for all Irish adults on vitamin D supplements which, they say, can significantly reduce the risk of infection, serious illness and death from Covid-19<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, to date there has been no policy action despite the mounting evidence showing the benefits of supplementation, they say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group have pointed to studies describing significant reductions in death amongst older nursing home patients and substantial reductions in ICU admission rates amongst hospitalised Covid-19 patients following supplementation with vitamin D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also highlight emerging evidence from Andalucia in Spain, where a public health initiative to supplement all vulnerable groups including those in care homes with vitamin D coincided with a fall in daily Covid-19 death rates from 60 per day in mid-November to just three per day by the first week in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, vitamin D is lacking in the Irish population across all age groups and so experts including Prof Declan Byrne, clinical director at St James’ Hospital and Prof Rose Anne Kenny, principal investigator of TILDA, are urging the Department of Health to increase its current vitamin D guidelines to the general adult population for a daily intake of 20-25 micrograms to build protection against the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the other eminent academics involved in this work is Dr Dan McCartney, programme director of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at TU Dublin and Trinity College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr Dan McCartney, programme director of Dietetics and human nutrition at TUD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘The current pandemic has claimed over 2,700 lives in this country and continues to pressurise our acute care system,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with mask-wearing, hand-washing, social-distancing and cough etiquette, taking vitamin D supplements now will give the Irish population a degree of protection while the vaccine is being rolled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The accumulation of evidence linking low vitamin D levels and Covid-19 is now considerable<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finland has recorded low Covid-19 infection and death rates in a country which has been compulsory enriching its milk and spreadable fats with vitamin D since 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research from Germany has shown a fifteen-fold increased need for invasive mechanical ventilation and a six-fold increased risk of death in Covid-19 patients with low vitamin D levels, while data from Cordoba in Spain and from France and the UK have highlighted a 25-30 fold reduced risk of ICU admission and a substantial reduction in risk of death in Covid-19 patients supplemented with vitamin D.ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n\n\n\n