Vitamin D has been recommended by health officials throughout the world to decrease the risk of contracting the coronavirus, including Israel’s Health Ministry, but health experts warn that it should be taken sparingly since excessive consumption of vitamin D can be dangerous. Clinical dietician Dr. Maya Rosman spoke about the recent studies on vitamin D’s role in fighting COVID-19 on Israel’s Radio 103FM but warned that people must exercise caution in taking vitamin D tablets or drops. “Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that any excess is not excreted in the urine but accumulates in the body and can be toxic, causing nausea, skin and eye irritation, kidney damage, calcium deposits [which can cause kidney problems], and other issues.” According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) per day for adults and 800 IU per day for adults older than 70. However, the Mayo experts added that “1,000 to 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D from a supplement is generally safe, should help people achieve an adequate blood level of vitamin D, and may have additional health benefits.” According to the Mayo Clinic and several other sources, including Harvard Medical School and the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, over 4,000 IU of vitamin D can be harmful and should not be taken without a doctor’s approval. Children aged one to ten shouldn’t have more than 2,000 IU a day without a doctor’s approval. Dr. Rosman said that she recommends that people consume vitamin D from natural sources rather than from tablets or drops. “Vitamin D is in egg yolks, fish, liver, shamenet (soft white cheese or cream cheese], butter, and sour cream. In one egg, for example, there is already over a fifth of the recommended daily allowance. In 100 grams of sea-bass, there’s 200 IU, a quarter of the recommended daily allowance.” “And most importantly, our skin contains inactive vitamin D, which becomes active through sun exposure” Dr. Rosman added. “According to researchers, ten minutes of sun exposure on one’s hands only is enough to provide an adequate supply of vitamin D. So instead of buying vitamin D tablets or drops, take a short walk in the sun! You’ll burn calories and replenish your stores of vitamin D.” On a related note, due to the Health Ministry’s recommendation to consume vitamin D to combat the coronavirus, Beit Shemesh Mayor Dr. Aliza Bloch announced this week that she will be distributing vitamin D to all city residents. Dr. Bloch told Yisrael Hayom that although Beit Shemesh is currently “green,” she feels she needs to prepare for the next outbreak, especially since a number of neighborhoods in the city suffered from high infection rates during the first and second waves. Another of Bloch’s considerations is that about half of the city’s residents are Chareidi and researchers have found that many Chareidim are deficient in vitamin D due to a lack of exposure to the sun – an ironic reality in a city named Beit Shemesh [House of the Sun]. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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