3 ms·

Vitamin D deficiency is caused by a lack of exposure to UV light. I wonder if the retrospective studies that correlate low vitamin D levels to worse COVID outc

Vitamin D deficiency is caused by a lack of exposure to UV light. I wonder if the retrospective studies that correlate low vitamin D levels to worse COVID outcomes are actually finding that people who spend more time indoors are more likely to have a higher viral load due to sharing more air with contagious people in poorly ventilated areas.

abfan1127 6y ago
I wondered the same thing. Not only are they sharing air with contagious people in poorly ventilated areas, but their own viral load isn't shed like it is outdoors. I also wonder about outdoor activity and mucus generation. Pollen, dirt, etc all trigger mucus generation and expectoration (coughing it out). External loads are caught up in this mucus and coughed out before you can get sufficiently infected and our own viral load can get caught up in the same mucus and coughed out as well. I have no experience in this field, just random thoughts. I'd love to hear from others with more experience in the field.
mixmastamyk 6y ago
Not entirely. Diet, location, skin color, and age are significant factors.
rxhernandez 6y ago
My physician told me that under no circumstances should I be getting my vitamin D from the sun as skin cancer was not worth it; she instead recommended I get it from my diet.
- gojomo 6y ago
  Your physician is wrong, as separate from just the Vitamin-D mechanism, greater lifetime sun exposure is correlated with many net-positive health outcomes, especially with regard to cancer & cardiovascular health, that outweigh the risks of skin cancer.
  - IndySun 6y ago
    Not necessarily. It's going to depend on your age, skin color and skin condition as to whether a pill beats sun. But generally being outdoors, on a grey winters day in the northern hemisphere, with just your face exposed, and having darker skin, for an hour, is not going to get you enough D.
- nradov 6y ago
  There is no evidence that moderate daily sun exposure increases mortality risk. Sunlight exposure also has other health benefits beyond vitamin D, such as stimulating nitric oxide production.
- frombody 6y ago
  The recommended intake for vitamin d everywhere is less than 1,000 IU. 30 min of sun exposure will give you the equivalent of 10,000 to 20,000 IU. If you moderate your sun exposure and are responsible, there is no reason you can't use the sun to your advantage. If you don't you're likely to become vitamin d deficient listening to that person.

abfan1127 6y ago

I wondered the same thing. Not only are they sharing air with contagious people in poorly ventilated areas, but their own viral load isn't shed like it is outdoors. I also wonder about outdoor activity and mucus generation. Pollen, dirt, etc all trigger mucus generation and expectoration (coughing it out). External loads are caught up in this mucus and coughed out before you can get sufficiently infected and our own viral load can get caught up in the same mucus and coughed out as well. I have no experience in this field, just random thoughts. I'd love to hear from others with more experience in the field.

mixmastamyk 6y ago

Not entirely. Diet, location, skin color, and age are significant factors.

rxhernandez 6y ago

My physician told me that under no circumstances should I be getting my vitamin D from the sun as skin cancer was not worth it; she instead recommended I get it from my diet.

gojomo 6y ago
Your physician is wrong, as separate from just the Vitamin-D mechanism, greater lifetime sun exposure is correlated with many net-positive health outcomes, especially with regard to cancer & cardiovascular health, that outweigh the risks of skin cancer.
- IndySun 6y ago
  Not necessarily. It's going to depend on your age, skin color and skin condition as to whether a pill beats sun. But generally being outdoors, on a grey winters day in the northern hemisphere, with just your face exposed, and having darker skin, for an hour, is not going to get you enough D.
nradov 6y ago
There is no evidence that moderate daily sun exposure increases mortality risk. Sunlight exposure also has other health benefits beyond vitamin D, such as stimulating nitric oxide production.
frombody 6y ago
The recommended intake for vitamin d everywhere is less than 1,000 IU. 30 min of sun exposure will give you the equivalent of 10,000 to 20,000 IU. If you moderate your sun exposure and are responsible, there is no reason you can't use the sun to your advantage. If you don't you're likely to become vitamin d deficient listening to that person.