Some of the world’s political leaders are lying to our faces…
Possibly threatening the lives of millions of Americans.
Like this recent falsehood from a prominent political figure.
Her name is Patty Hajdu.
As Canada’s top health official, she wields strict control over Canadians’ health care.
A few weeks ago, a member of Canada’s Parliament asked why she wasn’t recommending vitamin D as a defense against COVID-19.
Hajdu urged him “not to fall prey to the myriad of fake news articles that are circulating around the Internet”… adding that he should get news “from credible sites.”
If you’re a regular reader, you know vitamin D is like rocket fuel for your immune system. Without it, your immunity becomes paper thin.
Vitamin D is COVID’s Worst Enemy
You can’t have a functional immune system without vitamin D. Consider:
- Spanish researchers found that 8 out of every 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had something in common – they were ALL vitamin D deficient.1
- A University of Chicago study reported patients lacking in vitamin D were nearly twice as likely to get COVID-19.2
- European researchers reported only 1 of 50 hospital patients receiving vitamin D supplements required admission to the ICU. Yet of the 26 patients NOT treated with vitamin D, half of them, 13, ended up in ICU – and two of them died.3
- A U.K. study reported patients deficient in vitamin D were twice as likely to die from COVID-19.4 U.K. health officials decided to distribute free vitamin D supplements to anyone who would take them.
Use Vitamin D3 to Repel Viral Invaders
Perhaps you’re worried you were exposed to a flu bug… or you’re getting ready to travel. How can you best use vitamin D to strengthen your immunity?
First, make sure you’re getting it in the right form. I recommend vitamin D3, a.k.a. cholecalciferol. That’s the type of vitamin D made by your own body.
Good food-based sources include wild salmon and mackerel.
But vitamin D deficiency is so common you’ll need to supplement. I recommend at least 1,000 IUs a day, but it’s likely you will need 5,000 IUs or more. It’s vital to know exactly where you stand, so I also recommend asking your doctor for a vitamin D3 test during your next round of blood work.
Because it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, taking D3 with high-fat foods will boost the absorption. I recommend pairing it with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You’ll absorb more D3 and several studies indicate omega-3s also diminish the effects of COVID-19.5
I also recommend taking it with magnesium and vitamin K2. Magnesium (take 600-1,000 mg daily) is critical for your immune function across the board. And vitamin K2 (take between 45-90 mcg daily) protects your heart by regulating calcium levels in your blood. Both of these activate D3 and increase its absorption.
Also, don’t forget D3 is called “the sunshine vitamin” for a reason. Your body’s natural production of cholecalciferol shoots up whenever your skin is exposed to sunlight.
As I wrote in my book Your Best Health Under the Sun, full-body sun exposure was routine in hunter-gatherer communities. That’s one reason the elders I visit in remote villages in search of herbal cures have such robust health. But in our society, it’s almost unheard of.
Try to expose as much skin as possible. Now that summer’s here, do so for brief periods.
If you’re fair skinned and venture out at noon when the UV rays are strongest, for example, you’ll only need 15 to 20 minutes a day. Those with darker skin may require an hour or more.
Also, be sure NOT to lather on commercial sunscreens. They often contain carcinogenic chemicals and block about 99% of your body’s D3 production. That’s self-defeating.
Instead, use sunscreens with a zinc oxide base. They are completely safe and very effective.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Over 80 percent of COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency, study finds: Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in men. (2020, October 27). Retrieved from ScienceDaily website.
2. Caldwell A. Study suggests high vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19, especially for Black people. Published March 19, 2021.
3. Entrenas Castillo, M., Entrenas Costa, L. M., Vaquero Barrios, J. M., Alcalá Díaz, J. F., López Miranda, J., Bouillon, R., & Quesada Gomez, J. M. (2020). “Effect of calcifediol treatment and best available therapy versus best available therapy on intensive care unit admission and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A pilot randomized clinical study.” The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 203, 105751.
4. Jones, A. (2021, May 16). Reduced Vitamin D Levels Associated with Increased COVID-19–Related Deaths. Retrieved May 19, 2021, from Docwire News website:
5. Doaei, S., Gholami, S., Rastgoo, S., Gholamalizadeh, M., Bourbour, F., Bagheri, S. E., … Goodarzi, M. O. (2021). The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on clinical and biochemical parameters of critically ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Translational Medicine, 19(1).