Researchers to explore how vitamin D affects Covid-19

New York, Nov 30 (IANS) After several studies linked high vitamin D supplementation with reduced Covid-19 effects, now researchers from Penn State University in the US, to study whether vitamin D could help people ward off or reduce symptoms caused by coronavirus.

The research team, including one of Indian-origin, have received nearly $241,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on how vitamin D regulates the immune system in the gastrointestinal tract.

Cantorna said the addition of two key collaborators in the study are virologist Troy Sutton and Girish Kirimanjiswara, associate professor whose research focuses on immunology and infectious diseases.

"Patients with acute respiratory infections have been shown to be vitamin D deficient, and vitamin D supplements have been touted as being useful in high doses for preventing seasonal influenza," Cantorna said.

"Meanwhile, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has generated interest in the potential of high-dose vitamin D supplements to prevent and treat severe disease associated with the Covid-19 pandemic," Cantorna added.

The research group has shown that vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining health in the gastrointestinal tract.

Higher levels of vitamin D reduce susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease, as well as gut and lung infections in animals and people.

However, too much vitamin D can be harmful.