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Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

mdpi.com

221–230 of 304 posts

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that easy and inexpensive treatment methods are getting very skeptical reception by the medical community. My sense is that this is the training from the medical school, which in turn, is influenced (to a degree of course) by the pharmaceutical companies.

I think it’s more about prescription drugs versus otc drugs. Prescription drugs need a prescription because they have potentially dangerous side effects. Often you don’t get a wanted effect without potential side effects. OTC drugs are usually extremely cheap (hence why you could think the medical community dislikes cheap medication). The fact that you don’t need a medical professional to get them makes them a target…

> Prescription drugs need a prescription because they have potentially dangerous side effects

Or, more likely, someone just decided they should be prescription only. Why are melatonin, gabapentin, piracetam prescription only? Paracetamol will kill you in the right dosage, yet it's OTC. Hell, you can overdose on vitamins and minerals/metals, too.

It's like a game for the industry, at the expense of a minority who have to suffer from only having access to bad doctors.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the inexpensive treatments are abused by many different actors because they carry little or no cost to develop, thus there is reason a to be sceptical. For example you can find a lot of supplements that claim to cure various cancers and many have been proven to have no effect. People even claim that objects or they by themselves cure diseases. If not much money or effort has been put into a 'treatment' you ha…

Suffered horrific migraines for years. Was using injections that costs thousands. My routine these days? Magnesium, Vit D, and massaging TMJ joint. Diet helps a lot too. Cure cancer, no. Help various issues, often.

The thing is, this is very personal. No one knows you better than yourself.

I wish people were allowed to just experiment with different solutions. Sign a paper saying that you take full responsibility and they're not obligated to treat you and that's it.

Some people live in areas that good doctors left a long time ago.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#223
post #30

It's unfortunate that it is not simple to get regular tests for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The whole process seems to be stuck behind the doctor appointment firewall. This might be one of the reasons why Theranos was so readily believed. As the quantified self movement that gained popularity around the same time showed, there's an appetite in certain segments of the population for this type of testing and trac…

It is, in the civilised world with functioning healthcare infrastrucure.

I would call my lovely Poland less and less a civilised world, but even here I can test whatever I want whenever I want in at least two big networks of private labs. I go to lab online shop, buy what I want (vit D costs ~$13), download a voucher with qr code on my phone, go to the lab and 5 mins later I can go to home. I have an account on their web app, later that day I have results and can compare it to all my previous results too, each thing with nicely visualised historical data on diagram.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#224

When the third supportive pre-print paper was released in late April I started my elderly mother on a D3 supplement. As more papers came out in May I started my whole family on it. I read up on dosing and it's pretty hard to overdose unless megadosing over a sustained period of time and negative reactions/interactions are rare. We've been supplementing ~5k to 10k IU daily (total, incl any multi-vitamins) depending on…

I wouldn’t worry too much about sunscreen. Don’t have the link, but I remember reading a study that sunscreen had pretty much a zero 0% effect on Vitamin D levels, because most people wear way less sunscreen than they should, and the left over areas that people miss still produce enough.

From a doctor I've heard you only need to go in the sun for about 10 minutes a day and you'll get all the vitamin D you need, but food also gives you it.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77093-z

The fatality rate was high in vitamin D deficient (21% vs 3.1%).

It’s just a correlation. No need to take vitamin d.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#227
post #6
post #3

I must admit I was completely ignorant of the effects of Vitamin D deficiency on common illnesses such as the flu as well as how unbelievably common that deficiency is for people living in much of the northern hemisphere. Will it cure COVID19? No. But do I think there's a decent chance it will improve my outcome while simultaneously improving my ability to fight off other viruses. I am honestly completely shocked tha…

The problem is that vitamin D absorption is one of those things linked to ethnicity. It is very basic and undisputed science that lower melanin in skin = higher vitamin D absorption. No European educational institution or government wants to publicise research highlighting that ethnic groups indigenous to the northern hemisphere are more suited to the natural environment they are endemic too, and less likely to have…

[deleted]

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#228
post #6
post #3

I must admit I was completely ignorant of the effects of Vitamin D deficiency on common illnesses such as the flu as well as how unbelievably common that deficiency is for people living in much of the northern hemisphere. Will it cure COVID19? No. But do I think there's a decent chance it will improve my outcome while simultaneously improving my ability to fight off other viruses. I am honestly completely shocked tha…

The problem is that vitamin D absorption is one of those things linked to ethnicity. It is very basic and undisputed science that lower melanin in skin = higher vitamin D absorption. No European educational institution or government wants to publicise research highlighting that ethnic groups indigenous to the northern hemisphere are more suited to the natural environment they are endemic too, and less likely to have…

Bro, the exact website you quoted (not same page) has an entire section of information about melanin, ethnic groups, and vitamin D:

What is my skin type? Skin types that are more sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation burn more quickly and are at a greater risk of skin cancer.

All skin types can be damaged by too much UV radiation. Skin types that are more sensitive to UV radiation burn more quickly and are at a greater risk of skin cancer.

People with naturally very dark skin (usually skin type V or VI) still need to take care in the sun even though they may rarely, if ever, get sunburnt. The larger amount of melanin in very dark skin provides natural protection from UV radiation. This means the risk of skin cancer is lower.

Eye damage can occur regardless of skin type. High levels of UV radiation have also been linked to harmful effects on the immune system.

Vitamin D deficiency may be a greater health concern for people with naturally very dark skin, as it is more difficult for people with this skin type to make vitamin D.

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#229
post #6
post #3

I must admit I was completely ignorant of the effects of Vitamin D deficiency on common illnesses such as the flu as well as how unbelievably common that deficiency is for people living in much of the northern hemisphere. Will it cure COVID19? No. But do I think there's a decent chance it will improve my outcome while simultaneously improving my ability to fight off other viruses. I am honestly completely shocked tha…

The problem is that vitamin D absorption is one of those things linked to ethnicity. It is very basic and undisputed science that lower melanin in skin = higher vitamin D absorption. No European educational institution or government wants to publicise research highlighting that ethnic groups indigenous to the northern hemisphere are more suited to the natural environment they are endemic too, and less likely to have…

Furthermore, this article by two Australian academics, published in an outlet considered leftist, is basically about why Australians have such high rates of skin cancer, and includes the quote:

Why us? Most Australians (and Kiwis) have the wrong type of skin for their environment. Basically, through migration, our two countries have been populated by many people with fair skin whose ancestors come from much less sunny climates. Lack of protective pigmentation leaves skin cells especially vulnerable to the DNA-damaging rays from the sun.

During human evolution, our early hominid ancestors in Africa lost their covering of body hair and developed pigmented skins, presumably as protection against the harsh tropical sun. With subsequent migration out of Africa into Europe, the protective benefits of dark skin became less important for survival and were likely a hindrance to effective vitamin D production. There was selective pressure for less pigmented skin with more distance from the equator.

In contrast, those who migrated out of Africa to Asia, Australia and the islands of Melanesia were constantly exposed to sunlight. So they retained their protective pigmentation. This explains why the recent European migrants to the Americas and Oceania arrived in the “new worlds” with skin types poorly suited to their new environments. This was in stark contrast to the well-adapted skin of the indigenous inhabitants.

https://theconversation.com/why-does-australia-have-so-much-...

Re: Vitamin D insufficiency may account for almost 90% of Covid-19 deaths

#230
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And black people are disproportionately impacted by COVID. Isn't Africa doing surprisingly well?

> Isn't Africa doing surprisingly well? I've always wanted to ask someone personally: why is the fact that African nations haven't been overrun by COVID-19 surprising? I mean, I live here and I'm certainly very pleased that we've had such positive outcomes. But the constant tone of surprise from foreigners was funny at first but is now mildly annoying if I'm being honest; not you, obviously, but I've read one too man…

The unspoken assumption is that everything else being equal african countries should have been impacted at least as much as other countries, but probably more impacted for having less intensive care units per inhabitant.
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