US resolution calls for CDC and FDA to back vitamin D supplementation for COVID-19

22 Feb 2021 --- Vitamin D’s role in reducing the impacts of COVID-19 has come under scrutiny yet again. In a move applauded by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a US representative has introduced a House resolution that recognizes the potential role vitamin D may play in decreasing the severity of COVID-19.

While the preventative benefits of supplementing may hold promise, a new Brazilian study has cast doubt on the abilities of vitamin D3 to reduce the hospital stay of patients with COVID-19. This contrasts earlier investigations that flagged the potential of the vitamin in helping fight the pandemic.

“Over the last year, we’ve witnessed a growing body of scientific research from reputable medical facilities demonstrating a connection between vitamin D deficiencies and negative COVID-19 patient outcomes,” says Glenn Grothman, the Republican congressman who introduced House Resolution 116.The resolution calls on the CDC and FDA to issue new guidance that encourages vitamin D intake during the pandemic.

Calls for new guidance
The resolution calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update existing guidance and issue new guidance that encourages vitamin D intake during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This valuable vitamin could potentially save lives and is something that the CDC should aggressively promote along with their other COVID-19 guidance,” says Grothman. 

He argues that as much of the public continues to wait for access to available vaccines, it’s critical that the House of Representatives is united in finding additional ways to limit the negative effects of the virus. 

“[It also must] provide the public with more information about how effective vitamin D can be in preventing serious COVID-19 symptoms. This resolution does both,” Grothman emphasizes. 

Conflicting evidence
The new study, published in JAMA, found that a single dose of 200,000 IU of vitamin D3 did not significantly reduce hospital length of stay for 240 patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 in Brazil, when compared with a placebo. 

Both the group that received vitamin D3 and the one that did not had a median hospital stay of seven days. Additionally, there were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, admission to the intensive care unit or need for mechanical ventilation. 

However, the researchers flag a number of limitations in their trial, including that the percentage of patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency enrolled in this study was considerably lower than those reported in other cohorts. 

“This is possible as a consequence of differences in geographic locations. Therefore, caution should be exercised in generalizing these findings to patients from other geographical regions,” the authors write. 

Additionally, the patients were given a dose of vitamin D3 after a relatively long time from symptom onset to randomization. 

“Further studies should determine whether preventive or early vitamin D3 supplementation could be useful in the treatment of patients with COVID-19, especially those with mild or moderate disease,” say the researchers.The sunny climate of Brazil may have meant that the participants were less likely to be vitamin D deficient from the outset. 

A year of activity 
The last year has seen a host of other investigations into vitamin D, with others finding more promising results. 

In December, an analysis of 300,000 UK users of the ZOE COVID Symptom Study App found that supplementation of probiotics, omega 3 fatty acids, multivitamins or vitamin D was associated with a lower risk of self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

Also, a separate investigation found that over 80 percent of COVID-19 patients in a Spanish hospital had vitamin D deficiency. 

England is now offering free vitamin D supplements over the winter to over 2.5 million people deemed vulnerable to COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, a US-based campaign called #VitaminDforAll is calling for immediate widespread increased vitamin D intake. 

The CRN has also formed a Vitamin D Study Task Force to develop and evaluate scientific content for a forthcoming consumer education program. The initiative will feature consumer-friendly content, such as research summaries, podcasts and articles to provide more education on the topic of vitamin D and COVID-19.

“CRN joins Congressman Grothman in urging public health establishments to issue guidance about the benefits of vitamin D supplementation and the role it may play in reducing the risk of serious COVID-19 symptoms and complications,” concludes Julia Gustafson, vice president, government relations, CRN.

By Katherine Durrell