5 ms·
The critical question remains though- is vitamin D the causal factor, or instead an indicator of something else?
by ip26 6y ago
The critical question remains though- is vitamin D the causal factor, or instead an indicator of something else?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- excalibur 6y agoSun exposure is far more likely to be the causal factor.
- m463 6y agoand/or a diet deficient in D (or whatever gets converted to D with sunlight exposure)
- gridlockd 6y agoThere's nothing particular that is required in the diet to synthesize Vitamin D3 from the sun. Without sun exposure, you'd have to be eating several pounds of fatty fish every day to get to "healthy" levels from diet alone. You need a supplement. Keep in mind, non-severe Vitamin D deficiency doesn't cause any significant evolutionary pressure, so migrating humans just rolled with it - to this day.
- ip26 6y agoThat, or perhaps a lack of sun exposure is linked to having preexisting conditions. Diabetics, COPD, asthmatics, etc as a group probably tend to spend less time outside.
- slg 6y agoI agree, we need better evidence on all the vitamin D claims. Comparing rich white people in the suburbs who have lots of open land to get sun and use for exercise versus poorer darker skinned people in dense inner city apartments who spend most of their time inside introduces numerous confound factors that will be highly correlated with vitamin D.
- gridlockd 6y ago> I agree, we need better evidence on all the vitamin D claims. Not really. We should be blasting "get your Vitamin D supplements" from the rooftops, because maybe that's a significant factor in COVID-19 and it's safe and people should get them anyway. There's no downside. If in a few years it then turns out that Vitamin D had nothing to do with it, it doesn't matter. If it turns out that Vitamin D really was a big factor, we'll be sorry for being hesitant with a safe and cheap intervention.
- MrBuddyCasino 6y agoThis. People need to take convexity of risk into account. Taleb has elaborated on this over and over again, its really straightforward.
- z3t4 6y agoOverdosing D can be dangerous as it takes a long time to leave your body.
- jansan 6y agoThen do not overdose. Tell people to take 1000IE per day, not more. This will have no negative impact on the health or economy, but if we are lucky, it will help reduce the impact of COVID-19. Shutting down the economy is clearly dangerous, yet enough people do not seem to have a problem with that.
- z3t4 6y agoVitamin D pills is just a quick fix. Moderate exercise and fresh air would probably save more lives. Healthy vitamin levels are good, but its many little things which affects health.
- glofish 6y agoexactly this, one cause of vitamin D deficiency is the overuse of sunscreen sunscreen should be used as protection against sunburn, but not put on all the time in every instance be outside, stop lathering yourself with sunscreen and get natural, low continuous levels of vitamin D. supplements may be better than nothing but they far from providing you with the same dose and availability of vitamin D
- jansan 6y agoAnother critical question: Why hasn't this been properly researched, yet? There were indications before, that Vitamin D insufficiency increases risk of respiratory diseases.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]