We are in the middle of a global pandemic, with over 231,000 COVID-19 cases in Washington state alone. Even with the days getting shorter and darker as we enter the cold winter months, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are distributed.
In the meantime, it is more important than ever to take appropriate precautions: continue social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and consider taking a vitamin D supplement, which can play a significant role in lessening risks and improving outcomes if you get COVID-19.
Aside from increased COVID-19 risks, low vitamin D levels can result in poor bone health and are associated with an increased susceptibility to diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer – not to mention increased risk for respiratory illnesses, allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
Even if you have low levels of vitamin D, you may not even realize it, though many individuals experience fatigue, muscle aches, or bone aches. If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, or if you are interested in knowing your vitamin D levels, speak with your doctor and ask about a blood test.
I have spent my career studying vitamin D and its many benefits for the human body. Often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. Unfortunately, for those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest, in the late fall and winter the sun is not high enough in the sky for its rays to reach our skin to produce vitamin D.