Vitamin D and Covid-19 – Lyrics and Background

Available on Youtube, Spotify etc.

 

 

Wanna know more? How much vitamin D should we take according to approved science?

 

LYRICS

How the **** am I supposed to do a humorous rap, scientifically robust, sound a bit like Ali G, Ay
Let’s go let’s go, level up, level up

Vitamin D Is a natural healer, it raises our strength like a long lost friend 
against a nice bunch of
ailments 1, too hard for a patent, too cheap for a rake-in 2. 
Big Pharma must hate it. I asked my
Lama, he said they’re too in bed with governments for an end to the drama 3 
and they’re knockin’
it down like the Amazon. 4

We got deficiency of vitamin D, 80% of Covid patients who are critical 5 -
is this about efficiency?
Wake the dead, claim back your natural immunity 
cos the science shows – when the D flows
Do they wanna keep it under wraps, feed the fat cats sittin’ ever 
higher on their corporate golden
mats?
 While the poorer gettin’ poorer.
 But you can choose empowerment, bring it on

If you get your levels up you could be fitter than
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
 6
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. If you get your levels up you could be fitter than he
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
Vitamin, Vitamin.

Vitamin D, Vitamin D3, If you get your levels up you could be fitter than
Vitamin D, Vitamin D3

So they recommend a dosage that’s enough for an ant 7, 
without scientific proof that it will make up the lack 8,
makes me rant as the sun ain’t enough to get VD3 half of the year.
You seen Scotland in summer? Ain’t no joke, take your shades off and 
tell me straight-faced that
10 micrograms daily 7 will play the ace.

Pigs might fly

And they’re always banging on about toxicity of D3. 9 
Of course no one has ever been on a plane,
taken the pill, crossed a main street.
 Even drinking too much water could harm your daughter.
Fact is, it’s a seldom occurrence like when a doc ****s up the sums with a prescription that could
fill 100 oil drums.
 10 Funny thing is when big profit’s at stake, the risk authorities sing praises of
safety for nerve-poison glyphosate. 11

If you get your levels up you could be fitter than
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. If you get your levels up you could be fitter than he.
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
Vitamin, Vitamin.

Vitamin D, Vitamin D3. About two thirds of us are lacking in
Vitamin D, 12 Vitamin D3. Sorting it out could save us trillions.
Vitamin D, Vitamin D3. Take into account the cost of lockdown.
Vitamin D, Vitamin D3.

Vitamin, vitamin, vitamin. Vitamin D3 – Take it in
Vitamin, vitamin, vitamin – Spread this sound
Vitamin, vitamin, vitamin – Vitamin D3 – Take it in
What the ****, tell the truth, bout da D so we can end the suffering.

Check out the natural East African tribes a study looked at, never touched a vitamin pill, got so
much in their blood 13 they must be dead if you listen to safety-heads.

High five to the zombies! High five to the zombies!

Back in da shadows of industrial comfort,
masses a breath away from viruses-triumphant.

But we need more research before we act” 14 is the mantra, like they used for climate change
but not for grounding faulty planes.
Well we can wait and wait and wait, too late to change the fate of the oblivious.
Well VD3 ain’t enough to replace all that carnism-, sickness-, pandemic-causing food stuff.15
Well that’s another story, but it holds its glory, so what is there to ****ing lose?

If you get your levels up you could be fitter than
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. If you get your levels up you could be fitter than he.
Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin D. A missing link for crushing Covid 19.
Vitamin, Vitamin D.

Background Information

claim back your natural immunity”

Vitamin D is essential for a properly functioning immune system but globally, deficiency is so common and costly to health that it has been described as a pandemic. 5

I only discovered I had vitamin D deficiency after speaking to a doctor who’d done her own research. It had never been suggested by any of my GPs to get a vitamin D blood test as a standard procedure. I don’t blame them because it appears that the amount of knowledge regarding this issue varies greatly between doctors, as do opinions about what constitutes deficiency and cost-benefit for the doctor  in Germany as well as some other countries deters them from doing it. Also, doctors can’t be blamed for passing on information by health authorities that may be in error. Recommendations vary dramatically internationally.

In any case, my energy levels seemed to go up markedly and in combination with healthy nutrition I am rarely sick. At the worst I might get a low-level day-cold every 2 years. I haven’t had flu for about 18 years without the help of any flu-vaccine. (update: I had a mild bout of Covid – Vit. D blood level about 60ng/ml at the time). So some years back I started looking into the subject further by examining the findings of studies and hearing personal experiences of people benefiting from boosting their vitamin D levels, including from a doctor who has had many covid-19 patients, none of whom had serious complications (whole-food plant-based nutrition was also a protocol). Hence the song!

It’s interesting to note the discrepancies between different institutions as to what blood levels of vitamin D are defined as deficiency. For the Endocrine Society, sufficiency is above 75 nmol/L whereas for IOM, it is above 50. In 2012 a study was published in which the vitamin D blood levels in indigenous peoples of East Africa had been assessed. 13 They had a mean of 115! In the daytime they are mainly outdoors with some clothing but avoid direct sun. It was suggested in the study that this could be used as a potential reference for assessing sufficiency globally, partly as a baseline because vitamin D from sunlight is available throughout the year in the study areas.

Has there been a sufficient concerted effort during the pandemic by governments to encourage people in even the most simple ways to boost their natural immunity at a national level? I was unable to find anything on the WHO, German and UK government websites. If not, do you wonder why? Surely it would cost little and help people get healthier generally? Whilst some matters of health might be blindingly obvious to some (e.g. food), many people are in the dark about what is healthy or on the other hand inflammatory (potentially leading to severe chronic conditions exacerbated by Covid-19). Vitamin D is certainly an area where ignorance abounds. Is enough is being done about this?

A healthy immune system, although with limitations, offers protection against not just one pathogen or mutation of that pathogen, but offers a broad spectrum of benefits from protection to better mood and energy levels.

It should be a major part of the strategy to deal with Covid-19 parallel to other measures as a precautionary principle because people with weak immune systems en masse are intensifying hospitalisations across the board. Many health professionals and researchers have been calling out for this. 21

Yet, whilst governments pour $345 billion into destructive industries which are obliterating life on the planet 19, there seems to be little willingness to follow up the potentially large benefits of vitamin D regarding covid-19 with rigorous studies addressing the preventative effectiveness. 5

That it is a cheap, low risk preventative measure 2 for certain conditions has been proven with years of research showing multi-benefits, but any deficiency prevention has not yet led to solving the issue, vitamin D sometimes down-played and even bashed by government institutions, state media and offshoots 4, is this because it is in competition with some major products of Big Pharma? Because of ignorance? Because the patented products that do make big profits get the upper hand? A far healthier society generally would not be very profitable for one of the biggest global industries. If governments are so concerned about our health, then why don’t we have a preventative health system already? It would be a challenge, but with campaigning and incentives, a real possibility. And why do they inject billions of tax-payers money into health- and environment-destroying industries at the same time as claiming to protect our health? 11 15 What does that tell us about their integrity and honesty?

How do some major risk assessment authorities and approval authorities that are meant to protect us factor in, when they have a history of corporate corruption and pervertion of science? 3 11

One example of high deficiency is India, at 80-90% according to most studies (in addition to other major chronic conditions). 16

Many people are unaware of their vitamin D level or even ignorant of the dangers of deficiency and the public often have to show their own initiative and demand a blood-test from doctors and normally have to pay for it on top of their health insurance costs. Most are not getting informed as standard medical proceedings, or they are given too little to make a significant difference. If toxicity in vitamin D is very rare and only at extremely high levels, and the costs of deficiency are high why are many health authorities recommending such low levels?

On its own it is however not enough to deal with the lifestyle-caused chronic diseases present in a large proportion of populations in industrialised countries. Consumption of animal products, for example also significantly impact outcomes of Covid-19 15. These conditions and lifestyles in turn have so much to do with creating pandemics in the first place and worsening their effects: heart-disease, obesity, hypertension and some cancers much of which arise from consuming animal foods from the animal farming industry. That industry and desire for meat globally is the biggest cause of environmental destruction and a major cause of climate change, both of which exacerbate pandemic risk, as does animal husbandry directly. The former is a far far bigger problem than the health effects of the pandemic 15

The same solutions being presented for Covid-19 are also tested on animals, and the biggest Covid-19 outbreaks have often been in “meat factories”, identified as “system relevant”.

The elephant in the room is a very karmic sign. It struck me right from the beginning that coronavirus is an anagram of “carnivorous”. Kind of apt….

But that’s another story in another song 😉

 

Disclaimer:

All content within this blog is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. I am not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. I am not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, Always consult your own GP if you’re in any way concerned about your health.

 

REFERENCES

1. General benefits of Vitamin D

T-cell function

“Geisler noted …if there is an inadequate vitamin D level, “they won’t even begin to mobilize.”

https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3563/rr-6

“CD8+ T cells are important effectors of adaptive immunity against pathogens, tumors, and self antigens.”

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02568/full

 

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/91/5/1255/4597253

other

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29080635/

https://www.altmetric.com/details/99483725

https://www.dana-farber.org/newsroom/news-releases/2019/high-dose-vitamin-d-shows-benefit-in-patients-with-advanced-colorectal-cancer/

a low vitamin D status is emerging as a very common condition worldwide, and several studies from basic science to clinical applications have highlighted a strong association with chronic diseases, as well as acute conditions. Moreover, the large amount of observational data currently available are also accompanied by pathophysiological associations of vitamin D with energy homeostasis, and regulation of the immune and endocrine systems.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-0558-y

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582312/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28580189/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=vitamin+d+and+multiple+sclerosis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=vitamin+d+and+diabetes

https://www.dana-farber.org/newsroom/news-releases/2019/high-dose-vitamin-d-shows-benefit-in-patients-with-advanced-colorectal-cancer/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d–vitamin-d-deficiency

Autoimmune

MS and Vitamin D

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582312/

Treatment of MS with Vit D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquQjPxdRKY

2. Vitamin D is cheap to produce and very cost-effective

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/9/e007910

save approximately €5.7 billion and US $3.3 billion annually.” (just for osteoporosis alone!)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11657-019-0589-y

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28768407/

https://www.fabresearch.org/viewItem.php?id=14763&listId=1405&categoryId=&navPageId=1404

https://www.altmetric.com/details/99483725

https://www.healtheuropa.eu/vitamin-d-nhs/92961/

“Given its rare side effects and its relatively wide safety margin, it may be an important, inexpensive, and safe adjuvant therapy for many diseases”

“Many conflicting recent studies are now showing an association between vitamin D deficiency and cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and depression.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532266/

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.201912

3. Lobbyism by the pharmaceutical industry

How much influence do they have on health systems, health-politics and approval authorities and the media?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7054854/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/257364/top-lobbying-industries-in-the-us/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_lobby

http://europe-health-network.net/IMG/pdf/texte_court_en.pdf

https://lobbyfacts.eu/reports/lobby-costs/companies

https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2465

“publication rates of clinical study results are notoriously low, particularly for publicly funded research, including in the EU. While privately funded clinical trials have a slightly better publication rate, many reports include large amounts of redacted text to protect commercially sensitive data.

https://www.transparency.org/en/news/corruption-and-the-coronavirus

Seehofer

Arte pharma Dokus (German):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOgVDvi0Y6U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nWQlPzmlXg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qob1_M9wvp8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whU70Ley_k4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNWClED9nMc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXS1sA776qI

WHO im griff der lobbyisten (German) 25:34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlia_fQOLk&t=1180s

https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/a-773434.html?fbclid=IwAR3SLLab_qYHkWqmxOPUXZG_83TT3t8oSUAyvRxU9Qa-DpWUr4AlypTsZnQ

(German)

 

lack of quality control

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4137817/

 

Infiltration of approval authorities and the media

Lobbyism in EFSA (EU approval authority for Vitamins)

https://corporateeurope.org/en/efsa/2013/10/unhappy-meal-european-food-safety-authoritys-independence-problem

https://corporateeurope.org/en/pressreleases/2017/06/nearly-half-experts-european-food-safety-authority-have-financial-conflicts

“For some time, there has been quite a pressure on EFSA concerning the way that the Authority is conducting risk assessments. Regulation (EU) No. 2019/1381 is a follow-up to the European Citizens’ Initiative on glyphosate, especially concerns expressed in the initiative regarding the transparency of the scientific studies used to evaluate pesticides. Thus, the new Regulation is not only limited to EFSA’s pesticide opinions. It also follows a fitness check of the General Food Law, launched in 2014 and completed in January 2018 by the European Commission.”

https://www.bechbruun.com/en/news/2019/new-eu-food-regulation-may-influence-the-disclosing-of-legitimate-business-information

https://www.alter-eu.org/documents/2012/02/14/conflicts-on-the-menu-a-decade-of-industry-influence-at-the-european-food

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464618302640

https://www.pan-europe.info/press-releases/2013/09/can-science-director-food-authority-efsa-industry-background-be-neutral

 

FDA corruption / lack of fair scrutiny

The inadequacy of “Gold Standard” approval.

https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/17/did-the-fda-understaff-its-review-of-the-pfizer-biontech-vaccine/

“The Harvard report points out how one in five drugs approved by FDA seriously harm people and prescription drugs are becoming the 4th leading cause of death. “

https://www.seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-food/institutional-corruption-of-pharmaceuticals-how-FDA-cannot-be-trusted-with-public-safety.php

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24088149/

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/hidden-conflicts-pharma-payments-fda-advisers-after-drug-approvals-spark-ethical

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fda-drugs-companies-pharmaceutical-us-pay-doctors-approval-fompanies-astrazeneca-a8433621.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Food_and_Drug_Administration

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5940713/

https://www.cochrane.org/news/statement-support-emas-clinical-study-report-transparency-policy

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-law-medicine-and-ethics/article/abs/institutional-corruption-of-pharmaceuticals-and-the-myth-of-safe-and-effective-drugs/12BBDFC13802D1BD4DA3D7473DD7EBDE

FDA Denies Petitions to Ban Phthlates in Food Packaging

 

corruption / secrecy in EMA / MHRA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Medicines_Agency#Criticism_of_conflict_of_interest

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/anthony-fauci-takes-issue-u-k-review-pfizer-biontech-covid-shot

https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2412

 

leaked docs

“transparency back to middle ages”

https://corporateeurope.org/en/2020/09/eu-watchdog-radio-episode-11

 

“The review process of the European Medicines Agency regarding medical issues has been criticized for its lack of transparency and issues of conflict of interest.[29] In a rebuttal of an EMS review that included her work, Louise Brinth, a Danish physician, noted that “experts” reviewing data remain unnamed and seem to be bound to secrecy. Minutes are not released and diverging opinions are not reported suggesting that all the “experts” are of the same opinion. In her view the process is unscientific and undemocratic.[30]

In a session of the Austrian Parliament member of parliament Gerald Hauser on 1 April 2021 publicly criticised a potential conflict of interest of Emer Cooke, Executive Director of EMA, by her allowing the controversial Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be approved, while having worked for the very same industry in the past as a lobbyist of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).[31][32][33] “

 

CDC corruption

“Despite the agency’s disclaimer, the CDC does receive millions of dollars in industry gifts and funding, both directly and indirectly, and several recent CDC actions and recommendations have raised questions about the science it cites, the clinical guidelines it promotes, and the money it is taking.”

https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2362

 

Wikipedia

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220175584_Wikipedia’s_Neutral_Point_of_View_Settling_Conflict_through_Ambiguity

https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/a-773434.html (German)

“The crisis PR agent Wolfgang Stock founded “Wiki-Watch” at the University of Frankfurt (Oder), supposedly to help Wikipedia victims…

PR consultant changes Wikipedia entries for pharmaceutical customers”   (translated from German)

https://pr-journal.de/nachrichten/branche/10283-pr-berater-veraendert-wikipedia-eintraege-fuer-pharma-kunden.html

“it shows us that evidence-based medicine and guidelines have been hijacked, as the evidence base has been systematically distorted.”

“the barrage of evidence is overwhelming”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4046551/

review of Gøtzsche, Peter C. (2013) Deadly medicines and organised crime

 

4. “knockin it down”

Evidence of purposeful down-playing and bashing of vitamin D by government authorities and state-funded media

From DGE (Germany)

“There are no dietary supplements that can prevent illness with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).” (translated from German)

https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/auswaehlen-zubereiten-aufbewahren/coronavirus-was-koennen-nahrungsergaenzungsmittel-45640

This statement is false, as it is unproven that protective effects from certain supplements do not exist. There is data from vitamin D studies covering preventative effects, howver there are major flaws with study-design and assumptions. The big majority of studies were for post infection. One correction could be: “Funding has not been put forth for rigorous studies on the preventative effects of supplements” , or a cheap, low-risk supplement which shows enormous promise, so there is no conclusive evidence despite proven positive knock-on effects that would save health costs significantly”

A further falsehood: “Dietary supplements are also not used to treat diseases”

Vitamin D, if suspected or found to be in deficiency (“symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression” and effects can include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers 1) it is often boosted for patients i.e. to “treat” those conditions and prevent worsening outcomes. Whether that is in a supportive function or not doesn’t matter. The goal is to help combat those related conditions.

From October to March everyone over the age of five will need to rely on dietary sources of vitamin D. Since vitamin D is found only in a small number of foods, it might be difficult to get enough from foods that naturally contain vitamin D and/or fortified foods alone. So everyone, should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D.”

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bp-assets/globalassets/croydon/original-blocks/our-services/how-to-get-enough-vitamin-d.pdf 18

This is totally unrealistic 20 and could have negative side-effects of e.g. heavy metals in sea-fish, expense thereof and risk of overdose of vitamin A and also would exacerbate harm to animals and our ecological system:

“The first option on the WHO/FAO list is increasing the diversity of foods consumed but this has its challenges because there are very few food sources naturally rich in vitamin D. These are mainly of animal origin, which is highly relevant in the context of the recent calls for a radical transformation of the global food system, with emphasis on increased consumption of plant‐based foods and reductions in animal‐derived foods for many, as part of a more sustainable flexitarian‐type diet (see Buttriss 2020; Steenson & Buttriss 2020).”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7276911/

18 The above was cited from below as general guidelines

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritioninthenews/new-reports/983-newvitamind.html

20 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339349/SACN_Update_on_Vitamin_D_2007.pdf

 

Media involvement in vitamin D-bashing / mobbing

Mailab (ÖR-finanziert) vs Dr. von Helden (German)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN0V3KLCfvI&t=1227s

von

funded by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Thi_Nguyen-Kim (German)

Ehemann arbeitet für MS-pharma (Interessen-Konflikt?)

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000117741932/mai-thi-nguyen-kim-mit-intelligenz-und-ironie-gegen-ignoranz

 

SWR spielen vitamin runter

von:

https://www.swr.de/wissen/corona-und-vitamin-d-100.html

Ausbrüche von Covid-19 in Pflegeheimen ohne Sterbefälle. Presse meldet: unerkärlich.

5. Deficiency levels in Vitamin D generally

Vitamin D deficiency is a “pandemic”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28516265/

“a worldwide prevalence of up to 1 billion.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532266/

Vitamin D deficiency in Europe: pandemic?

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/4/1033/4662891

Vitamin D deficiency in India – 80-90%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q_mhJRFtxg&t=79s

Brazil: 28% deficient / 45% insufficient at low defined threshhold of

https://eje.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/eje/180/4/EJE-18-0736.xml

40% of Europeans are vitamin D deficient, and 13% are severely deficient

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-0558-y

42% Percent of Americans Are Vitamin D Deficient.”

https://www.cantonmercy.org/healthchat/42-percent-of-americans-are-vitamin-d-deficient/

Vitamin D Deficiency- An Ignored Epidemic

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068797/

The new guidance from NICE, SACN and PHE on vitamin D recommendations for the UK is hugely disappointing, and I am sure that this response will be echoed by many other vitamin D researchers in the UK and worldwide. SACN, NICE and PHE have indicated that people should follow their original advice given several years ago that everyone in the UK should supplement with vitamin D during winter months but that supplementation with 400 IU/day vitamin D is sufficient to prevent most people from falling below a level of 25 nmol/L serum vitamin D. These are the lowest vitamin D supplementation recommendations in the world, despite recognition of the prevalence of vitamin D-deficiency in the UK. Awareness of vitamin D-deficiency in the UK has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is partly due to lack of sunlight access during lockdown, and partly because several studies have shown that patients with worse COVID-19 outcomes have lower levels of vitamin D. The increased risk of COVID-19 in ethnic minorities has also been linked to lower vitamin D levels in these populations. A possible beneficial effect of vitamin D in protecting against COVID-19 infection and disease severity is also supported by basic science data for the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D1. NICE, SACN and PHE insist that more evidence is required. This includes randomised supplementation trials. This is very difficult within the timeframe of the pandemic – it may take several months for vitamin D supplementation to elevate serum vitamin D levels. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge, despite many attempts by various groups to secure support for this type of study during the first few months of lockdown, there has been no UK funding of vitamin D-COVID-19 studies. NICE, SACN and PHE always state that ‘more studies are needed’ but this is impossible if UK funders will not support these studies. While this situation persists there is inaction that can readily be avoided with some modest changes to recommendations for vitamin D supplementation which is cheap and safe.”

expert reaction to rapid COVID-19 guidance on vitamin D, published by NICE, PHE and SACN

Deficiency in Covid-19 patients

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/study-vitamin-d-deficiency-common-in-covid-19-patients

https://www.infranken.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/vitamin-d-mangel-kann-toedlich-sein-studie-zeigt-erschreckende-folgen-art-4457916

Study cited: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770157

 

6. Vitamin D and outcomes of Covid-19

Metastudies strongly indicating effectiveness

“The results of the meta-analyses and respective TSAs suggest a definitive association between the protective role of vitamin D and ICU hospitalization.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9864223/

https://vdmeta.com/

“The datasets provide strong evidence that low D3 is a predictor rather than just a side effect of the infection.”
a Mortality Rate Close to Zero Could Theoretically Be Achieved at 50 ng/mL 25(OH)D3: (125 nmol/L)
Other studies

“In a new study, researchers show a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity and mortality. The study is among the first to analyze vitamin D levels prior to infection, which facilitates a more accurate assessment than during hospitalization, when levels may be lower secondary to the viral illness.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220203161135.htm

“Patients with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) were 14 times more likely to have severe or critical disease than patients with 25(OH)D ≥40 ng/mL ”

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0263069

“Mortality within 30-days of COVID-19 infection was similarly 33% lower with Vitamin D3

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24053-4

 

Recommendations

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

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3872/rr-5

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0239252#pone-0239252-g001

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340409592_Evidence_that_Vitamin_D_Supplementation_Could_Reduce_Risk_of_Influenza_and_COVID-19_Infections_and_Deaths

https://medium.com/microbial-instincts/the-first-clinical-trial-to-support-vitamin-d-therapy-for-covid-19-906a9d907468

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AySagDalY8

 

Clinical trials on Vitamin D and Covid-19

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764

https://pmj.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/12/postgradmedj-2020-139065.full

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

https://academic.oup.com/immunotherapyadv/article/1/1/ltaa008/5999967

 

correlation with Covid-19

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11739-021-02902-w

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210322175028.htm

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n544/rapid-responses

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

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7716744/

“We feel this should be pursued with great urgency”

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201912

“Much more attention should be paid to the importance of vitamin D status “

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7276229/

“Clinicians should continue to treat people with vitamin D deficiency especially in managing COVID-19 patients.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7750008/

“Of the nine studies reviewed, seven (77.8%) showed that COVID-19 infection, prognosis, and mortality were correlated with vitamin D status.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7800698/

“We observed a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of the disease. “

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33146028/

https://rmdopen.bmj.com/content/6/3/e001454

Criticisms of current policy

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n544/rapid-responses

 

The limitations of studies concluding no link with Covid-19

“Because a large portion of patients were below the suggested 30 ng/mL threshold, we can’t exclude that VitD supplementation, restoring normal levels, might be beneficial in reducing the risk of infection.”

(i.e. no comparison was made between healthy and insufficient levels!)

https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1024/0300-9831/a000687

 

“the referenced Brazilian trial (3) enrolled only symptomatic COVID-19 patients, on average more than ten days after symptom onset. This means that they received the vitamin D supplement about two weeks after the start of the infectio”   i.e. the study was neither designed for, nor can say anything about prevention!

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n544/rapid-responses

cited:

https://covid19.elsevierpure.com/de/publications/effect-of-a-single-high-dose-of-vitamin-dltinfgt3ltinfgton-hospit

 

 

7. “enough for an ant” / Definitions of deficiency

General recommendations too low

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28768407/

https://www.vitamind.net/tagesbedarf/

cited: 3. Veugelers PJ, Ekwaru JP. A statistical error in the estimation of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D. Nutrients. 2014 Oct 20;6(10):4472-5

Europe (EFSA): 15 µg per day

“The Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) defined an adequate intake (AI) of 15 µg per day for healthy individuals over one year of age. This includes pregnant and lactating women. The DRVs for infants aged 7-11 months have been set at 10 µg per day.”

https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/UL_Summary_tables.pdf

Germany: 20 µg per day

https://www.dge.de/presse/pm/neue-referenzwerte-fuer-vitamin-d/

UK: 10 µg per day

Definitions of Deficiency

Serum 25(OH)D concentration (nmol/L) Institute of Medicine (2) Endocrine Society (1) EFSA (29) SACN (27) ECTS (this paper)
<25/30 Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Severely deficient
25–50 Uncertain* Deficient Deficient Deficient
50–75 Sufficient Insufficient Sufficient Sufficient
>75 Sufficient

https://eje.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/eje/180/4/EJE-18-0736.xml

IOM challenged on incorrect calculationsm (too low)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128099650000598

 

 

8. “ without scientific proof that it will make up the lack”

 

9. Claimed toxicity of Vitamin D

“”Recommendations such as ‘now 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily’ (= 125 µg) are dangerous, as that is more than the absolute upper limit for safe intake (upper intake level). The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment even recommends no more than 20 µg (= 800 iE) vitamin D per day. ” (translated from German)

Large studies on toxicity show no toxicity at this level. There is no compelling evidence that 20 µg per day will get somebody in deficiency to an optimal level 10

https://www.br.de/radio/bayern1/vitamin-d-nebenwirkungen-100.html

 

10. Actual toxicity – “when a doc ****s up the sums…”

In statements released over the last decade, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) (15) and the Endocrine Society (14) have both concluded that acute VDT is extremely rare”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6158375/

No toxicity with 7 year supplementation study, upto 50000 I.U. per day – see blood calcium levels

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/

“vitamin D is probably one of the least toxic fat-soluble vitamins, much less toxic than vitamin A”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25939933/

No toxicity with blood levels at 40-60 nanograms/L

explanation from 51:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha2mLz-Xdpg

In general, vitamin D toxicity occurs at 25(OH)D blood levels over 500 nmol/L or at a daily intake exceeding 30,000 IU/day over an extended period of time. Supplements taken as directed and up to 4000 IU/day for adolescents and adults (age 9 and up) would not lead to toxicity. Individuals with liver and kidney conditions may have a lower threshold for vitamin D toxicity than the general population1. “

https://mssociety.ca/library/document/38cuveX9sSrF0QEZ1DfOMUaBilKTyRJk/original.pdf

Note the extremely high dosages here, where toxicity occured:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115827/

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/96/7/1911/2833671

 

11. “the risk authorities sing praises of safety for nerve-poison glyphosate”

An example of corruption of science due to the pesticide industry

www.researchgate.net/publication/235895346_Conflicts_of_interest_at_the_European_Food_Safety_Authority_erode_public_confidence

Monsanto suppressed evidence, manipulated lab results, bullied and harassed scientists, and undermined international regulators. Internal documents obtained by the courts now suggest that Monsanto marketed Roundup as “safe,” knowing full well that it was a likely carcinogen

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/21954/monsanto-busted/

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-risk-regulation/article/achieving-a-high-level-of-protection-from-pesticides-in-europe-problems-with-the-current-risk-assessment-procedure-and-solutions/1162DF6B1E3DF00FB801F484FD3ADB91

https://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/news/200/carey-gillam-monsanto-cancer-corruption-science/

https://theecologist.org/2017/nov/24/rolling-back-tide-pesticide-poison-corruption-and-looming-mass-extinction

part of the patent package:

https://euobserver.com/climate/151375

WHO Glyphosat (German) 2:36 / 8:40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlia_fQOLk

Monsanto Leserbriefe (German)

https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/kampf-um-glyphosat-wenn-leserbriefe-von-monsanto-als-studien-gelten-1.2570374

 

12. “about two thirds of us are lackin in vitamin D”

According to the Robertkochinstitut, up to 30.2% of adults in Germany have deficiency. 38.4% of adults achieve adequate care. 61.6%  therefore have suboptimal or deficient levels.

https://edoc.rki.de/handle/176904/2492 (German)

approximately 75% had suboptimal 25(OH)D concentration” (Asia)

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/3/313

Similar rates of vitamin D deficiency have been reported in Europe [26] and Canada. A greater prevalence of vitamin D deficiency exists in Middle Eastern countries. A study of 316 young adults aged 30-50 years from the Middle East showed that 72.8% had 25(OH)D values of less than 15 ng/dL (that is, severely deficient).”

https://www.medscape.com/answers/128762-54282/what-is-the-global-prevalence-of-vitamin-d-deficiency

Moreover, more than two-thirds of all children had levels below 75 nmol/L, including 80 percent of Hispanic children and 92 percent of non-Hispanic black children. “ (USA)

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2009-10-latest-analysis-suboptimal-vitamin-d.html

“Suboptimal vitamin D status is a highly prevalent but treatable condition in both hospitalized patients and the general population “

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18042130/

 

13. levels in tropical indigenous population (up to 175 nmol/l or 70ng/ml)

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/traditionally-living-populations-in-east-africa-have-a-mean-serum-25hydroxyvitamin-d-concentration-of-115-nmoll/6188564A01361C5CF5F196229430E475

14. ““But we need more research before we act is the mantra”

Why wait, when the risks and costs are very low, the knock-on positive effects are large and the chances of protection against severe covid-19 symptoms are very possible?

Why has there been no funding for large studies on prevention?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181010-do-vitamin-d-supplements-work

 

15. “all that carnism stuff”

The heavily subsidised animal farming industry is
wrecking the planet and causing pandemics and animal product consumption directly affects outcomes of Covid-19

https://spiral-m.com/coronavirus-history

https://spiral-m.com/veganresearch-and-debate-links

https://nutritionfacts.org

Plant-Based Diets Linked to Less Severe Illness from COVID-19

Plant-based diets are linked to less severe illness from COVID-19, according to a study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. Researchers surveyed health care workers with high exposure to COVID-19 patients across six countries on their dietary habits and COVID-19 outcomes. Participants who followed plant-based diets had a 73% lower chance of moderate to severe COVID-19 illness, whereas those who followed low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets were 48% more likely to have moderate to severe COVID-19 illness. Those who followed plant-based diets had higher intakes of legumes, nuts, and vegetables rich in fiber and vitamins A, C, and E that support the immune system and overall health. The authors recommend a plant-based diet that avoids pro-inflammatory foods such as red and processed meat associated with negative health outcomes to help protect against severe COVID-19.

Reference
Kim H, Rebholz CM, Hegde S, et al. Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case–control study in six countries. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. Published online June 7, 2021. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000272

16. Health crisis in India

Vit D deficiency in India: 80-90%


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q_mhJRFtxg&t=79s

 

“India actually has the highest number of diabetics (type 2) of any one country in the entire world”

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/global-diabetes/diabetes-in-india.html

Diabetes – over 10%


https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/world-diabetes-day-why-is-india-the-world-capital-for-diabetes-1740874-2020-11-14

Confounding factor of the lockdown – increasing obesity:

Heart disease has marginally increased by 10 to 20% compared to pre-COVID-19, but patients are not coming forward due to scare except in an emergency. So there is a 25% decline in the number of patients reporting on time in Hospitals, said Dr DK Jhamb, Director & HOD, Cardiology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32604013/“


Heart disease

Coronary heart disease prevalence rates in India have been estimated over the past several decades and have ranged from 1.6% to 7.4% in rural populations and from 1% to 13.2% in urban populations”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408699/

“Currently, heart attack and strokes account for approximately 12 million deaths worldwide each year with a disproportionately greater burden in India. The 1.21 billion people (17% of the world’s population) of this low-income country are experiencing cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality at an accelerated rate.1 “


Air pollution


https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/21/asia/india-pollution-covid-intl-hnk-scn-wellness/index.html

 

17 The failure of UK state authorities NICE, SACN and PHE

“The new guidance from NICE, SACN and PHE on vitamin D recommendations for the UK is hugely disappointing, and I am sure that this response will be echoed by many other vitamin D researchers in the UK and worldwide.”

Several groups, including one that I have participated in, have suggested a higher level of vitamin D supplementation. Specifically increasing this to 800 IU/day vitamin D. This is still relatively conservative – groups in the North America are recommending 4,000 IU/day – but is much more likely to improve the vitamin D status of people in the UK. In rejecting this request to increase recommend vitamin D supplementation NICE, SACN and PHE continue to promote the idea of vitamin D ‘toxicity’, despite no evidence of this in trials where up to 4,000 IU/day vitamin D were used. This obsession has become a major hurdle to better vitamin D health in the UK. Many vitamin D researchers have worked tirelessly over the summer to provide a framework in which vitamin D supplementation could be incorporated into the general strategies being used to defeat COVID-19. NICE, SACN and PHE have rejected this, and their ‘new’ recommendations provide little or no help at all for the UK public.”

https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jbm4.10405

19 Government subsidies for destruction

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/02/redirect-harmful-subsidies-to-benefit-planet-un-urges-governments-aoe

 

21 Many health professionals and researchers are calling out for raising vitamin D regarding covid-19

“Over 200 Scientists & Doctors Call For Increased Vitamin D Use To Combat COVID-19….

Research shows low vitamin D levels almost certainly promote COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Given its safety, we call for immediate widespread increased vitamin D intakes.”

https://vitamindforall.org/letter.html

 

“the lack of specific recommendations in the context of COVID-19 was also met with disappointment by many in the scientific community who have argued that vitamin D supplementation is generally safe and that any potential low toxicity would likely be strongly outweighed by any potential benefits in relation to protection from COVID-19.”

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(21)00003-6/fulltext

Irish health experts appeal to government

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/please-take-vitamin-d-to-protect-against-covid-19-say-irish-experts-1069537.html

 

How much Vitamin D should we take?

You should consult your doctor who knows the science for your specific circumstances. If you have certain medical conditions you may need to be extra careful about vitamin D intake.

The amount will depend upon BMI and your current blood level which you should get checked. Overweight people will need more. Below the age of 8 is less.

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha2mLz-Xdpg from 51:20, 51:46 and 56:24

The blood level is the ultimate indicator and a range of 40 to 60 ng/ml appears to be a sensible range to keep. That may mean taking vitamin D throughout the year. Note that nmol/L as a unit that is also used. Conversions can be found online.

As a general rule of thumb, according to EFSA, 28,000 international units per week poses no risk for the large majority of people.

 

German:

Wie viel am Tag?

https://youtu.be/GFXJ3nBssZA?ist=TLPQMTIxMDIwMjByk2Q17624OQ

https://www.vitamindservice.de/60

Further Vitamin D resources:

https://www.grassrootshealth.net

https://vitamindwiki.com/

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