ADVERTISING: Advertorial — DR. WAYNE M. FICHTER: Get out!
There is a lot of misinformation floating around right now about the coronavirus. Doctors and scientists are still learning about how the infection works and the best ways to treat it, plus everyone wants to protect themselves, so it only makes sense that people will try just about anything to help themselves, be it proven or not.
But there are some proven things out there, like vitamin D, that could definitely help.
Vitamins are critical to keeping the body and all its systems working properly, especially the immune system.
There are different estimates out there, but nearly half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, which we convert from sunlight. Now that most of us are locked down in place we’re getting even less vitamin D from sun exposure.
Several large observational studies have shown a link between Vitamin D deficiency and respiratory tract infections like colds, bronchitis and pneumonia.
This is due to the fact that one of the primary roles of vitamin D is keeping your immune system strong so it is able to fight off viruses and bacteria that cause illness.
Some of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency play right into the hand we have been dealt with by the coronavirus: getting sick, fatigue, tiredness, muscle pain, and the big one- depression, among others.
Very few foods contain enough amounts of vitamin D for our daily needs, so to ensure that you get enough, schedule regular time outdoors.
The sun is one of the best sources of vitamin D for our bodies. So with the weather changing, get outside and walk, sit and read a book or just relax. Please keep social distancing in mind, respect your neighbor, but get outside. For most people, just a few minutes outdoors is all you need.
Many factors will affect how much vitamin D a person gets from the sun, such as:
Time of day. The skin produces more vitamin D when in the sun during the middle of the day, when it is at its highest point in the sky.
When spending prolonged time in the hot sun wear sunscreen and stay hydrated.
Amount of skin exposed. The more skin a person exposes, the more vitamin D the body will make. Exposing the back, for instance, allows the body to produce more vitamin D than just the hands and face.
Amount of melanin in a person’s skin. People with lighter skin tones produce less melanin but more vitamin D than someone with a deeper skin tone. Therefore those with darker skin tones must spend more time in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D.
It is important to note that there has been no official research on vitamin D and COVID-19, specifically.
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Dr. Wayne M. Fichter Jr. is a chiropractor at Natural Spine Solutions. The business is located at 3913 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene, 208-966-4425.