Researchers at Queen Mary University and University Hospital Oslo have shown in two independent studies that vitamin D supplements do not reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 or other acute respiratory infections. Clinical trial results published in the journal BMJ.
The first trial was conducted in the UK between December 2020 and June 2021 and involved 6,200 adults aged 16 and over who were not taking vitamin D supplements at the start of the study. Half of the participants were offered a blood test for vitamin D. Those with low vitamin levels (86% of patients) received either 3200 IU/day or 800 IU/day supplements for six months. The other half served as the control group and did not receive vitamin D.
Neither high nor low doses of vitamin D had any effect on cases of acute respiratory infection or PCR COVID-19 diagnosed during the 6-month follow-up. The number of adverse events was similar between the groups and there were no serious adverse events associated with vitamin intake.
The second trial was conducted in Norway between November 2020 and June 2021. A total of approximately 35,000 adults (ages 18-75) who were not taking vitamin D supplements at the start of the study participated in the trial. They were then divided into two equal groups: one given 5 ml of cod liver oil for six months and the other 5 ml of placebo (corn oil). Most of the participants (86%) tested had adequate vitamin D levels at the start of the study. The researchers found no effect of cod liver oil on the incidence of acute respiratory infections or PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19. The cod liver oil group had no more adverse effects than the placebo group, and all were insignificant.
The results are also consistent with previous studies that found no preventive effects of vitamin D on the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Source: Gazeta
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.