- There was an association shown between low serum levels and bad COVID-19 outcomes, but low vitamin D is an indicator of frailty, so it was how much of this relation was causal.
- Now we have some early data that sure makes it look causal and it seems to be a significant effect, but it's not watertight yet.
- We know that a big fraction of us have low vitamin D levels with other health consequences from it.
- Taking a moderate dose of vitamin D now seems like a reasonable hedge: low risk of health consequences, and a decent chance of health benefits even if it doesn't protect us from the pandemic.
Also, fun side note: Vitamin D is produced as an oil on the skin and actually seeps through your skin overtime to enter the bloodstream. So don't take a shower after getting some sun, because you could be washing off your Vitamin D.
You cannot overdose on vitamin D from sun exposure because the metabolic process that creates it has a concentration limit.
You CAN overdose (experience toxicity) from too much supplementation. They are not equivalent.
Some people do get toxic side effects from supplementing 5000 IUs a day, over long periods of time.
Sarcasm: Yah, getting it from sun and from a supplement are biologically identical.
You absolutely can get too much vitamin D from a few thousand IU per day for a sustained time.
Honestly. I’m making a simple point that giving people a free, normal dose would be beneficial to them either way. So why not.
It’s pretty hard to OD on vitamins unless you can’t read the label.
It's kidney failure - https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/14/E390
Or fatal hypercalcemia - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12098-016-2109-z
And so on.
I frankly think its irresponsible and facile for anyone to suggest there are no downsides to high doses of Vitamin D. This stuff is available OTC and a lot of folks are just gonna dose themselves ad libitum here.