Dr. D's Lesson on Vitamin D

As a CPT, I get a lot of questions about dietary supplementation from clients. Typically, questions are targeted towards muscle building, joint support and weight loss supplements. However, for the past few coronavirus-focused months, supplements that support the immune system have been everyone’s go-to topic. Most people lead with Vitamin C and Multi-vitamins, since that’s what we’ve been told to take during every cold and flu season since our childhood. From time to time, zinc will make a guest appearance in the conversation.

All the discussion about boosting the immune system got me thinking about what a doctor would recommend. Well, lucky for me, we happen to have a brilliant one on our advisory board. I reached out to him and in true scholarly fashion, he provided the following lesson. So, without further adieu…

Foundation Fitness is very excited to have our first guest blog from Dr. David DeFouw. Dr. DeFouw is Vice Chairman for the Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine and Director of Medical Education Programs at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Low Levels of Vitamin D Might Increase Mortality Rates of the Covid-19 Virus

It is well established that Vitamin D expedites the absorption of calcium from the intestines. The absorbed calcium then provides hardness to the bones and teeth. The inactive form of vitamin D is derived from three main sources:

- the skin produces it during exposure to sunlight (5-10 minutes, 2-3 times per week is optimal)

- salmon, tuna, eggs, cheese, and fortified milk are rich in the inactive vitamin

- dietary supplements are based on the guidelines of 400-800 IU (20-25 mcg) of the inactive vitamin for healthy people

The inactive form of the vitamin enters the blood and when it reaches the liver and kidneys, specific cells in these organs convert it to the active form of vitamin D, which re-enters the blood to reach the intestines for its absorptive function of calcium.

The cells of the immune system also flow in the blood and many take up residence in the organ systems of the body that are exposed to the external environment such as the respiratory system that includes the nasal cavity, trachea, and lungs. External pathogens such as bacteria and viruses often invade these organs and programmed functions of the immune cells include binding to the pathogens.

After an immune cell binds a pathogen, it produces a set of proteins called cytokines that send coordinating signals among the reacting immune cells and stimulate an inflammatory reaction to collectively destroy the pathogen. The inflammatory reaction, however, can destroy normal tissues of the invaded organ; thus, termination of the reaction is critical after the pathogen has been destroyed.

The inactive form of vitamin D in the blood reaches invaded organ systems where the immune cells, like the specific cells of the liver and kidneys, convert it to the active form of vitamin D. Interestingly the active form then stimulates the immune cells to produce a different set of cytokines that terminate the inflammatory reaction. Thus, vitamin D could play a critical role during immune responses to maintain the integrity of the surrounding tissues.

It was recently reported that after the covid-19 virus invaded the lungs of patients who had low levels of inactive vitamin D in their lungs, prolonged inflammatory reactions lethally destroyed the patients’ lungs and increased the mortality rates of covid-19. Additional research is required to confirm this detrimental role of low vitamin D levels.

Presently, the prevalent use of sunscreen to prevent melanoma and diets that lack inactive vitamin D-rich foods suggest that dietary supplementation may be essential to sustain appropriate levels of vitamin D in the organ systems to guard against potential lethal tissue destruction after pathogen invasion - Dr. DeFouw

Let me be very clear. We are in no way, shape, or form saying that supplementing your diet with Vitamin D will prevent you from contracting the coronavirus. We all need to follow the required guidelines that have been set by the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html) in order to protect ourselves and others:

· Wash your hands often

· Avoid close contact

· Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

· Cover coughs and sneezes

· Clean and disinfect

· Monitor Your Health

Personally, I’ve boosted my Vitamin D intake and think of it as an insurance policy for my health. Right now, we need to take every precaution available to protect ourselves. The effects that Vitamin D has on the immune system can assist us to that end. I want to thank Dr. DeFouw for his great insight. I will gladly take a “D” in this class.

Dr. David DeFouw

Dr. DeFouw holds both an MS and PhD in Anatomy from Michigan State University. He is currently a full-time Professor at the Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School and also serves as both the Vice Chairman for the Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine and Director of Medical Education Programs. Dr. DeFouw has completed over 30 years of cell biology research, mainly through National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. With over 100 publications to his credit, he has also reviewed numerous research papers being published in journals such as The American Journal of Physiology. Dr. DeFouw is a former Division I collegiate football player and an avid fitness and nutrition enthusiast.