The Nutrient: Vitamin D reduces Covid severity, Decline in US life expectancy, Sports
Research
Vitamin D reduces severity of COVID-19
In 2020, during the heat of the pandemic, research showed that low Vitamin D levels were associated with severe Covid infection. The question on my mind was whether that meant we needed to supplement our way to normal levels, or if spending more time in the sun was the nutrient we needed.
A study published last month in the top-shelf journal, Nature, found that supplementing with Vitamin D2 or Vitamin D3 significantly reduced severity and mortality from Covid. This was especially true if a participant had Vitamin D blood levels between 0 and 19 ng/ml. (For reference, in my practice I've found that optimal levels of vitamin D to prevent infection ranges from 50-80 ng/mL.)
"Among VA patients, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 supplementation reduced the associated risk of COVID-19 infection by 20% and 28%, and COVID-19 infection ending in death within 30-days by 33% and 25%."
Maybe this is the evidence that insurance companies needed to start covering Vitamin D labs. Probably not, but you can always order it yourself for $100 through Labcorp.
"Our findings are especially relevant to the US population, given that about half of Americans are estimated to have sub-optimal vitamin D serum levels."
News
US life expectancy fell for the second consecutive year in 2021
Americans are now only expected to live until they are 76.4 years old, which is down to where life expectancy was in the 90s.
"That means all the medical advances over the past quarter century have been erased" – Dr. Steven Woolf, professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University
What's the deal? There's the usual suspects like heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries, as well as new killers like Covid. But, early death often has one thing in common: multiple chronic diseases. We should probably start there.
"The fact that the United States in 2020 and 2021 did so much worse than other countries is a warning sign that this health disadvantage that America has had for many years is really getting pretty bad."
Article
5 ways cheering for your favorite World Cup team improves your health
I lost interest after the US bowed out of the Worl Cup, but I'll never forget the excitement of Pulisic's game-winning goal against Iran to advance from the group stage. Here's a fun explanation on the science of rooting for the same team.
“When we experience and share these positive feelings with other people also watching the game, that actually allows us to enhance those emotions and have a greater emotional experience.”
Words of the week
"The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done."
– James Clear author of Atomic Habits
Happy holidays from Montana where it's -5 degrees, snowing, and beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Dr. Rondo
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