Vitamin D

Vitamin D has been a popular option for COVID treatment due to epidemiological evidence showing that people with low levels are more likely to get and suffer from a severe form of COVID-19. This has triggered a number of clinical trials with a major one, the CARED-TRAIL beginning in August last year. Click HERE to know more.

What we do know is that Vitamin D is the lynchpin or key to initiating a good immune response to a virus. A low level can be an indicator of the severity of illness.

While the final collection of participants has only been completed this August, they have released some initial data on the effect of supplementing 60,000 IU Vitamin D for 8 to 10 days on blood inflammatory markers of COVID-19 patients. Click HERE to know more.

They found both a statistical and clinically significant drop in inflammatory markers in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo group. For example, CRP dropped 51 mg/l in comparison to 5 mg/l in the placebo group. In addition, another inflammatory marker considered a danger for risk of severe COVID disease, Interleukin-6 dropped by 13 pg/l in the vitamin D group compared to only 0.5 pg/l in the placebo.

This is one of the first large clinical trials to use vitamin D supplementation and given there were such strong results on inflammatory markers this is a really good sign that vitamin D may dampen the damage that COVID -19 infection does to a patient.

However, it is important to point out that based on other studies these drops in inflammatory markers may not result in the reduction of hospitalizations, ICU stays, or death outcomes, although the effects on these inflammatory markers will influence recovery and fighting off long COVID. I will be very interested to see the final data from this study given such strong initial results.

Paracetamol use and foetal development

A consensus statement has been made based on the growing body of evidence that paracetamol use alters foetal development and can increase the risk of certain neurodevelopmental (brain and nervous system), reproductive and urogenital (kidney and bladder) disorders. They concluded that paracetamol should not be taken during pregnancy unless medically indicated and should be prescribed at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.

It is important to point out that the mechanism of action of paracetamol is through inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins are inflammatory cells produced in response to inflammation. Many polyphenol compounds and anti-inflammatory herbs also work on this same pathway. It is prudent to review supplementation of these ingredients while pregnant, especially during the third trimester.

Vitamin C

A landmark study done in 1944 set the recommended dietary intake for vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Participants were put on a vitamin C deplete diet, then supplemented with 0, 10 or 70mg and their skin was cut to see how quickly their wound healed. This study is quite controversial by today’s standards. It put them in a very dangerous situation as deficiency can lead to internal bleeding and death.

A landmark study done in 1944 set the recommended dietary intake for vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Participants were put on a vitamin C deplete diet, then supplemented with 0, 10 or 70mg and their skin was cut to see how quickly their wound healed. This study is quite controversial by today’s standards. It put them in a very dangerous situation as deficiency can lead to internal bleeding and death.

The study concluded that 10mg was the minimum required to prevent deficiency and treat impaired wound healing, and by inference, other collagen-related diseases such as heart disease or stroke. The WHO relies on this narrative to set the recommended nutrient intake for vitamin C at 45mg.

Now, let’s look at this new study that reviewed the original data. 

They found a 10mg dosage was suboptimal; associated with a 42% weakened scar strength when compared with 80mg. The researchers determined an average daily vitamin C intake of 95mg is required to prevent weak scar strength for 97.5% of the population, which is more than double the daily 45mg vitamin C intake recommended by the WHO. I think this is a very important example of how we need to understand the differences outlined in the guidelines, particularly the minimum requirements to prevent deficiency versus optimal amounts.

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