Low levels of vitamin D have been tied to higher risks for COVID-19 and more severe illness, although no studies have proved that vitamin D deficiency is actually to blame.
A study published on Tuesday in PLoS Medicine suggests that boosting vitamin D levels with supplements would not help.
Researchers studied more than 1.2 million people of European ancestry from 11 countries, some of whom had genetic variants that result in naturally higher levels of vitamin D.
Get weekly health news
People with these variants did not have a lower risk for coronavirus infection, hospitalization, or severe COVID-19, the researchers reported.
- Childhood Cancer Canada calls for $15M from feds as demand rises
- ‘E-dirt bikes are not toys’: E.R. doc fears more injuries after 2 kids hit in Edmonton
- N.S. women’s health advocates question progress on promised menopause clinic
- More than 100 Saskatchewan pharmacies to offer strep throat, ear infection care
Their results suggest that boosting vitamin D levels in deficient people probably would not help combat the coronavirus, and they do not believe randomized trials testing vitamin D supplementation would be worthwhile.
Other experts, however, would still like to see such trials, especially in people of African and other non-European ancestries.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.