In the letter (signed by 120 on Friday the 18th, but growing rapidly), scientists call for immediate, widespread, increased intake of vitamin D to 4,000 international units (IU) per day (or at least 2,000) for healthy adults.
This comes just days after British health agencies SACN and NICE denied there was enough evidence to support an increase in vitamin D intake for COVID-19 specifically. (…)
The scientists involved in the open letter say that global patterns and risk factors for the Covid-19 pandemic and vitamin D deficiency fit “exactly” due to the impact on immune function. They say research shows that low levels of vitamin D significantly increase the likelihood of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
The group of scientists calls for immediate, extensive and increased consumption of vitamin D, with most signatories declaring that they personally take at least 4,000 international units (IU) a day – many take more.
They say that the new specific mechanisms of SARS-Cov-2 are now very well understood, with body of evidence, including: multiple biological mechanisms that have been identified, showing how vitamin D directly influences COVID-19 results, More than 70 studies showing higher levels of vitamin D are associated with lower rates of infection and a lower risk of hospitalization, intensive care or death, as well as early causal inference studies confirmed by recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). published and quasi- experimental studies.
The main organizers of the campaign are Dr. Karl Pfleger (USA) and Dr. Gareth Davies (UK) – both have experience in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, as well as in Medicine. The letter has a growing list of 120 signatories. More than a hundred are doctors or PhD students or both and more than 60 are professors. Two British MPs – David Davis and Rupa Huq – also signed the letter.
Martin Hewison, a professor of molecular endocrinology at the University of Birmingham and one of the world’s top vitamin D authorities, signed the letter after strongly criticizing SACN and NICE, calling their reports “disappointing”.
He reacted to the latest NICE report, saying: “NICE, SACN and PHE continue to promote the idea of vitamin D ‘toxicity’, despite no evidence to that effect in studies using up to 4,000 IU / day of vitamin D. This obsession has become a major obstacle to a better vitamin D health in the UK. Many vitamin D researchers worked tirelessly over the summer to provide a framework in which vitamin D supplementation could be incorporated into the overall strategies used to defeat COVID-19. NICE, SACN and PHE have rejected this, and their new recommendations offer little or no help to the UK public. “(…)
MP David Davis has been a vocal supporter of vitamin D throughout the pandemic. He says, “Evidence from dozens of studies shows that vitamin D deficiency / deficiency is involved in compromising the body’s immune response to respiratory diseases in general and COVID-19 in particular. (…)
“The likely effect of correcting this deficiency is to reduce susceptibility to infection and reduce morbidity and mortality among those infected with the virus. If all this evidence is unlikely to be an artifact, the costs and health risks are minimal. . (…)
“If it is more likely that multiple sources of observational evidence and evidence from the growing number of RCTs show a real causal role for vitamin D in activating and modulating the immune system, it would be irresponsible not to administer vitamin D to all groups. who are at risk of COVID-19. It will save lives, improve the immunity of the population and help reduce the medical and economic impact while we wait for the universal launch of vaccines. (…)
Moreover, in order to have any material effect, the dose must be sufficient to correct the existing deficiency, which means up to ten times the daily consumption recommended by the United Kingdom. “(…)
David S Grimes, a retired gastroenterologist, signed the campaign for vitamin D to be taken more seriously for years. He says: “[NICE and SACN] they have ignored previous and current research and instead state “there is no adequate evidence to support the use of vitamin D”. They refused the NHS the use of calcifediol, a fast-acting form of vitamin D, in the treatment of Covid-19 pneumonia, despite the fact that it was shown in a clinical study to be 96% effective. The UK has had 25,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the study was published, but NICE continues to claim “there is not enough evidence”. They have so many answers. I am a national shame. “(…)
The letter is published on the web at VitaminDforAll.org.