Vaccinated or not, Vitamin D continues to be crucial to surviving pandemics and epidemics.
The results of a new study published in March 2022 add to the mountain of evidence showing the need to optimize your Vitamin D level. This study looked at the immune response of people vaccinated with the first dose of the SARS-COV-2 vaccine. The study revealed that those with a blood level over 20 ng/ml had an on average better antibody response of 29% than those with lower blood Vitamin D levels.
We generally advocate for a blood Vitamin D level between 40 - 60 ng/ml. Interestingly, the positive effects of Vitamin D were observed in people with blood levels much lower than the ideal range of 40 - 60 ng/ml. Imagine the results had they looked at populations with levels in that optimal level.
Some scenarios that may warrant Vitamin D supplementation:
1. Vaccinated and now dealing with weakened immune system function or chronic inflammation: Vitamin D helps the body regulate inflammatory response and helps with virtually all aspects of immune system function.
2. Long Covid/poor recovery and/or residual inflammation leftover after infection: If your immune system is compromised from years of neglect and stress and couldn't handle Covid well, you're almost guaranteed to be deficient in Vitamin D and should consult with a functional medicine doctor about optimizing your Vitamin D levels immediately.
3. Healthy and Strong, but want to be prepared for the next virus, bacteria, or germ that will come along by natural or man-made mechanisms: It's only a matter of time before we are dealing with the next "germ of interest". We've learned from the past two years that our best bet for dealing with a new germ is to focus on a healthy lifestyle that supports the kind of immune system that can handle whatever comes along.
Do you know anyone that is in one of the three scenarios listed above? Are you in one of these situations? Fortunately, the past 20 years have produced a lot of research and evidence that Vitamin D is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle.