Vitadoro: on the market a Vitamin D with a new formatVitadoro is a Vitamin D3-based product and is

Vitadoro: on the market a Vitamin D with a new formatVitadoro is a Vitamin D3-based product and is
Vitadoro is a Vitamin D3-based product and is now available in pharmacies in the new 9 ml bottle with gravimetric dropper.
Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. In addition, it is useful for normal calcium absorption and for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for the absorption of calcium and for the formation of solid and resistant bones, but it is also involved in the proper functioning of the immune system. Most of the vitamin D that the body needs is produced by the skin after exposure to sunlight and is then accumulated, forming a sort of deposit. But sun exposure is often insufficient for the correct synthesis of vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem common to all age groups. The particular situation we are experiencing has accentuated this condition, since during lockdown the entire population was less exposed to the sun and this resulted in having less vitamin D stocks. In our country, the skin synthesis of vitamin D becomes effective from spring, just in the months in which this year we were closed at home.

Therefore, the scientific community believes that, given the lack of correct exposure to the sun, it is important to do prophylaxis with daily physiological doses of vitamin D, even without resorting to serological dosage.

Is there a correlation between Vitamin D levels and upper respiratory tract diseases?

Immune cells are known to express vitamin D receptors and are able to convert vitamin D to its active form directly at the site of inflammation. Vitamin D can thus reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages and increase the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (Razdan K et al., 2020), regulating the immune-inflammatory response.

This role of coordination of the immune response has important effects on the body's ability to respond to viral infections, especially respiratory infections. On this issue, an important meta-analysis published in 2019 on a sample of over 11,300 patients demonstrated a protective effect of vitamin D supplementation against acute respiratory infections (ARI). Furthermore, the study authors found that subjects with a higher vitamin D deficiency had the greatest benefit from daily or weekly (non-bolus) supplementation, regardless of age. (Martineau A. R. et al., 2019)

This protective effect of vitamin D also appears to be valid against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The data currently available seem to agree in confirming the existence of a link between vitamin D deficiency and the susceptibility and severity of SARS-Cov-2 infection.

Among the numerous recently published studies, the work of D'Avolio's Turin group, published in Nutrients, is noteworthy, which investigated the correlation between vitamin D levels and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and progression to more severe forms, with significantly lower vitamin D levels in patients positive for infection. In light of this data, it is clear that vitamin D supplementation can be a valid measure to reduce the risk of infection (D'Avolio A. et al., 2020).

Protocols are currently underway for the treatment of non-critical hospitalized patients for COVID-19, which include the investigation of vitamin D deficiency and prompt administration of the same in cases of deficiency; particular attention to vitamin D is justified by the growing evidence that its integration and restoration of normal values in infected patients can improve immunological recovery during antiretroviral therapy (Havers F. et al. 2014), reduce inflammation levels and immune activation and increase immunity against pathogens (Caccialanza R. et al. 2020).

References

Razdan K. et al. Vitamin D Levels and COVID-19 Susceptibility: Is there any Correlation? Medicine in Drug Discovery 7 (2020) 100051

Martineau A. R. et al. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: individual participant data meta-analysis. Health Technology Assessment Volume 23 Issue 2 January 2019 ISSN 1366-5278

D’Avolio A. et al. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations Are Lower in Patients with Positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1359; doi:10.3390

Havers F, et al. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is associated with HIV disease progression and virological failure post-antiretroviral therapy initiation in diverse multinational settings. J Infect Dis 2014;210:244–53

Caccialanza R et al. Early nutritional supplementation in non-critically ill patients hospitalized for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Rationale and feasibility of a shared pragmatic protocol. Nutrition Volume 74, June 2020, 110835