b'Vitamin D and COVID-19HEALTH BITS & PIECES The government of the United Kingdom By Dan Kenner, Ph.D., LAc will provide free Vitamin-D supplements to Neither Health Freedom News nor I are suggestingover two million people who are at high risk that any such medical care or treatment for COVID-19 complications. This segment be conducted without competentmedical advice and supervision. of the population includes residents of nurs-ing homes and patients who are considered clinically vulnerable. This is partly the result The End of the Endothelium and including adequate quantities ofof a profusion of new studies confirming the The inner lining of arteries, the en- Vitamin C and omega-3s like EPA andimportance of Vitamin D to healthy immune dothelium,ismorethanjustacoat- DHA in balance. A diet rich in Vitaminfunction, including studies that have specif-ing along the arterial walls. It is nowCandhealthyfatscanalsosupportically shown that Vitamin D helps the body known to have a variety of functions.healthy blood sugar levels and preventfight the novel coronavirus. Other studies Its a major factor in regulating immunecardiovascular deterioration. have shown that low serum levels of Vita-health,inflammation,growingnewmin D are associated with severity of respi-blood vessels, and creating hormones.Fltou M, The Endothelium: Part 1: Mul- ratory tract infections and can be a factor in Endothelial damage is also known totiple Functions of the Endothelial Cells the onset of pneumonia. lead to atherosclerosis. The main life- Focus on Endothelium-Derived VasoactiveLowlevelsofVitaminDcanalsobe style factor contributing to endothelialMediators, Morgan & Claypool Life Sci- linked to more severe cases of COVID-19. damage is probably the consumption ofences, 2011; San Rafael (CA), at https:// One study found that 80% of people hos-refined sugar. Both acute and chronicwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK57149;pitalized for COVID-19 had a Vitamin-D hyperglycemia appear to cause erosionHadiH,CarrC,AlSuwaidiJ,Endo- deficiency. Another study yielded similar of the glycocalyx, a velvety coating onthelial Dysfunction: Cardiovascular Riskresults, including the observation that a low theendotheliumthatlubricatesandFactors, Therapy, and Outcome, Vascu- level of Vitamin D increased the rate of mor-prevents adhesion to the tissue. It islar Health and Risk Management, Septality from COVID-19.considered to be the first line of defense2005; 1(3):183-198; Yilmaz O, Afsar B,Vitamin-D levels tend to be deficient in the against arterial damage. The glycocalyxOrtiz A, Kanbay M, The role of endothe- winter months when sunlight is less avail-also has a regulating function. Numer- lial glycocalyx in health and disease, Clin- able, which is the critical factor in the bodys ous signaling molecules depend on it,ical Kidney Journal, 2019, 12(5):611619,abilitytosynthesizethevitamin.Studies including nitric oxide. Damage fromat https://doi.org/10.1093/ckj/sfz042; Al- have estimated that as many as a billion peo-excess refined sugar to the endotheliumbert B, Derraik J, Brennan C, et al., Higherple worldwide do not get enough Vitamin could be an important factor in the de- omega-3 index is associated with increasedD. Supplementation is advised for inhab-terioration of blood vessels accompany- insulin sensitivity and more favorable met- itants of northern climates at least during ing diabetes. The main lifestyle factorabolicprofileinmiddle-agedoverweightthe winter months. Vitamin D is produced that can help protect the endotheliummen, Scientific Reports, 2014; 4:6697, atfrom cholesterol in the skin in the presence is a reduction of dietary refined sugarhttps://doi.org/10.1038/srep06697. of sunlight, but food sources include oily fish such as sardines, herring, and wild-caught salmon. Mushrooms exposed to sunlight or The Structure of an Artery Wall a sunlamp are a great source of this precious vitamin (hormone) as well.Malnick E, Vitamin D to be delivered to millions of vulnerable people to help protect them from Covid, The Telegraph, Nov 07, 2020, at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/11/07/vitamin-d-delivered-mil-lions-vulnerable-people-help-protect; Carpagnano G, Di Lecce V, Quaranta V, et al., Vitamin D Deficiency as a Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Due To COVID-19, Jour-nal of Endocrinological Investigation, Aug 09, 2020, at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-020-01370-x; Hernn-dez J, Nan D, Fernandez-Ayala M, et al., Vitamin D Status in Hospitalized Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infec-tion, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metab-olism, Oct 27, 2020, at https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa733; Bartley J, Vitamin D, Innate Immunity and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection,The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, May 2010; 124(5):465-469, athttp://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215109992684;Sa-hota O, Understanding Vitamin D Deficiency, Age and Ageing, Sep 2014; 43(5):589-591, at https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afu104. 22 H ealtHF reedomN ews /w iNter2020'