Page 75 - Retail Pharmacy November/Decemeber 2020

74 HEALTH VITAMIN D VITAMIN D: A DRAWCARD DURING THE PANDEMIC BVy Nerine Zoio. itamin D is eliciting focused interest during this pandemic as a nutrient that can help strengthen immunity and combat the virus. The interest reflects the extent of vitamin D deficiency, which affects at least one in four people in Australia, with many healthcare professionals saying the deficiency is even more widespread. Vitamin D deficiency is considered a public health issue at a global level. Mark Webster, an integrated health practitioner and owner of Stay Well Pharmacy in Christchurch, New Zealand, comments to Retail Pharmacy that vitamin D is “good” to help combat infection and for immunity as a whole. “It plays an important role in our immune function,” he said. “So, when faced with the need to increase immunity, vitamin D is an essential part of the picture.” Mr Webster says interesting research is emerging on the role of vitamin D in relation to Covid-19. “The research has been around for other viral infections for some time, too,” he said. Many previous studies have noted the link between low vitamin D levels and higher rates of respiratory disease, such as asthma, tuberculosis and viral infections that attack the lungs. Vitamin D versus Covid-19 Dr Ian Brighthope from Brighton in Melbourne comments that a government-backed program to address vitamin D deficiency, which is widespread among the elderly, would have an immediate effect on their ability to withstand the coronavirus. A number of governments, including the Scottish and Norwegian administrations, have recommended citizens take vitamin D supplements. Dr Brighthope says he is one of many Australian medical practitioners who is convinced of vitamin D’s benefits at this time, but there is political resistance to considering nutritional defences. “Vitamin D is clinically effective, with enough scientific evidence to support its use immediately, and it’s safe, cheap and available now,” he said. “A viable vaccine \[for Covid-19\] is not. For the sake of our most vulnerable, as well as the health of our economy, we cannot afford to dither any longer.” Megan Jensen, a clinical researcher and accredited practising dietitian working in the Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs at the University of Newcastle, NSW, tells Retail Pharmacy that many questions would need to be answered before vitamin D could be used as an effective measure in the fight against Covid-19. “What are people’s starting levels?” she said “How much does an individual need, as this varies according to their life stages? Other factors among many that need to be considered include whether a person is obese, pregnant or in aged care, as this would affect the amount of vitamin D they’d require. “Aged care residents are most definitely at high risk for a vitamin D deficiency, and that’s something that does need to be addressed. “But a whole lot of specific questions would have to be answered before a wide-scale administration of vitamin D could take place.” Mr Webster adds that the reason healthcare professionals often recommend vitamin D for the elderly is because they have less cholesterol in their skin. “Old people have less starting material to make vitamin D in their skin, so they’re likely to be lower in vitamin D in any case,” he said. In general, vitamin D is well known to play an important role in the immune system, boosting the health of T cells and macrophages, which fight infection. An Italian study, ‘Vitamin D deficiency as a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with acute respiratory failure due to Covid-19’, discovered that after 10 days of hospitalisation, half of 42 patients with severe vitamin D deficiencies died, compared with just five per cent of patients who did not have severe deficiencies. Another study, ‘Vitamin D supplementation could possibly improve clinical outcomes of patients infected with Coronavirus-2019’, revealed a correlation RETAIL PHARMACY • NOV/DEC 2020