Can taking a vitamin D supplement prevent infection with the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Answer From Daniel C. DeSimone, M.D.
It is not clear if vitamin D supplements help prevent COVID-19 infection. You can help prevent infection from the COVID-19 virus by following these steps:
- Get vaccinated.
- Avoid people who are sick.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Don't touch your face.
- Disinfect surfaces you touch regularly.
- Improve airflow, also called ventilation, when indoors by opening windows or turning on exhaust fans.
- Wear a face mask, especially if COVID-19 community levels are high in your area.
Vitamin D, like other vitamins and minerals, helps the body work. And vitamin D is known to have a role in the body's immune response.
Researchers are looking at the effect of vitamin D levels on COVID-19. Some researchers study ways to prevent illness. Others test the effect of vitamin D given to people in the hospital with COVID-19.
There is no clear picture on how or if vitamin D should be used in prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
But researchers think that not having the amount of vitamin D your body needs, also called vitamin D deficiency, might put people at higher risk of getting COVID-19 and lung, also called respiratory, illnesses overall.
Having enough vitamin D also may help people get the most out of their COVID-19 vaccination.
If you're concerned about your vitamin D level, ask your health care provider about getting it checked. And if you have a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your provider about how to get your levels up.
With
Daniel C. DeSimone, M.D.
Jan. 26, 2023
- COVID-19 treatment guidelines: Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health. https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/supplements/vitamin-d/. Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Food safety and nutrition. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-food-safety-and-nutrition. Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
- Dietary supplements in the time of COVID-19. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/COVID19-HealthProfessional/. Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
- How to protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
- COVID-19 by county. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
- Stroehlein JK, et al. Vitamin D supplementation for the treatment of COVID-19: A living systematic review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021; doi:10.1002/14651858.CD015043.
- Bilezikian JP, et al. Consensus and controversial aspects of vitamin D and COVID-19. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2022; doi:10.1210/clinem/dgac719.
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