Vit D
Vitamin D (colecalciferol) is also known as the sunshine vitamin. It is made in the skin in response to the sun and can also be found in some foods such as eggs, oily fish and fortified cereals.
Vitamin D has a role to play in maintaining healthy teeth and bones but it also plays a very important role in immune health. In Ireland, we do not get enough sunshine to produce adequate levels of vitamin D. A national nutrition survey in 2013 found 35.7% of adults 50-64years and 44% of adults 65-84years did not have an adequate level of vitamin D intake. These figures rose even further to 55.4% and 48.1% respectively in winter time. This deficiency is likely to be even higher this year as we are indoors more due to lockdown restrictions or cocooning.
Recent links have been made between vitamin D levels and people's response to Covid-19 infection. It is believed there are two ways in which they are linked. Vitamin D is thought to suppress the adhesive molecule called CD26. This molecule is used by the Covid-19 virus to enter human cells and cause infection. Vitamin D has also been shown to slow down 2 inflammatory responses in the body – IFNy and IL-6. Both these responses can cause poor outcomes for critically ill patients who are ventilated due to Covid-19 infection. By reducing these responses, adequate vitamin D levels can help improve the outcome for these patients. More research needs to be done to fully confirm these links but even without a specific Covid-19 link, vitamin D supplementation is still necessary in Ireland for overall immune support.
In November 2020, the department of Health issued population health guidance that people aged over 65 years should supplement with 15mcg of vitamin D daily. This is the equivalent of 600IU.
The Department of Health for children (DOHC) recommends supplementation with 5mcg of vitamin D for children under 12 months every day from birth to 12 months. Some baby formula is fortified with vitamin D so additional supplements may not be necessary. They DOH then recommends 5mcg supplementation from Halloween (Oct 31st) to St Patricks Day (March 17th) for children ages 1 to 4 years. This can be given as drops or liquid.