Sunshine and Covid19
One of the few ‘natural medicines’ that has reasonably solid evidence behind it for benefit against Covid-19 is Vitamin D. Several studies have shown that people in ICU with Covid-19 are likely to have lower Vit D levels than those not in ICU or hospitalised.
https://www.ijidonline.com/.../S1201-9712(20.../fulltext
I recommend primarily moderate sunshine (without getting burned!) to get healthy Vit D levels, in preference to a supplement, or in addition. My levels are up around 100 nmol/L just from my morning walks and a bit of time in the garden.
It doesn't take much….10 minutes a few times a week of incidental Australian summer sunshine will generally give most people healthy Vit D levels, and this also helps with mental health and general immune health.
In winter, getting sunshine in the middle of the day (10am-2pm) is needed, but still, 15 minutes 3x a week is plenty (with some skin bare, such as forearms, exposed to absorb it).
If your levels are low and you cannot or don’t want to use sunshine to get them to a healthy level- over 50 nmol/L minimum at the end of winter, preferably at least 80 nmol/L or more in summer- then a supplement is appropriate, although there is not a strong association between taking the supplement and health outcomes. It's good to get your Vit D levels checked every now and then, especially if you are vulnerable. People who are bedridden or spend most of their time indoors for other reasons may find themselves with low levels.
There are several reasons I recommend sunshine over a supplement, if possible.
One, sunshine is free.
Two, sunshine is a proven antidepressant, and so is being outside, walking. With all the prevalent stress and anxiety, this is an important lifestyle factor that has more than one benefit.
Three, sunshine cannot be reduced to the equivalent of a Vit D supplement. Light is an important nutrient, including all the spectrums of light that sunlight contains.
Four, a Vitamin D supplement increases the absorption of calcium, but doesn’t tell that calcium where to go. Sometimes calcium deposits in inappropriate places such as the blood vessels or joints, causing issues such as arthritis or even atherosclerosis- depositing calcium along blood vessels - raising the risk of heart attack. Sunshine does not cause this issue.
Five, Vit D is a fat-soluble vitamin- actually it is more of a hormone. This means it can accumulate in fatty tissues and be overdosed with a supplement, although this is not common. However sometimes people take very high doses over months and this may be an issue, as Vit D can be toxic in abnormally high doses. However, the body will not do that with sunshine.
Six, while higher Vit D levels are associated with better health, the evidence for taking a supplement and getting those same benefits, is not so great.
With this virus doing the rounds, one of the best things you can do, after vaccinating, is to make sure your Vit D levels are optimal.
