HEALTH AND WELLNESS  | CNBC
Date Tue, Sep 15 20208:00 PM EDT

“Vitamin D is a key nutrient for your immune system.” Dr. Anthony Fauci

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, most “so-called immune boosting supplements” actually do “nothing.” However, there are two vitamins Fauci does recommend to help keep your immune system healthy.

“If you are deficient in vitamin D, that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection. So I would not mind recommending, and I do it myself taking vitamin D supplements,” Fauci said during an Instagram Live on Thursday, when actress Jennifer Garner asked Fauci about immune-boosting supplements.

“COVID-19 infection is more prevalent among African Americans, older adults, nursing home residents and health care workers—populations who all have increased risk of vitamin D deficiency.” University of Chicago Medicine

Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine recently found a link between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of being infected with COVID-19.   Those with an untreated deficiency were more likely to test positive. Half of Americans are thought to be deficient in vitamin D, with much higher rates seen in African Americans, Hispanics and individuals living in areas where it is difficult to get enough sun exposure in winter.

“Vitamin D is important to the function of the immune system and vitamin D supplements have previously been shown to lower the risk of viral respiratory tract infections,” said David Meltzer, Chief of Hospital Medicine at UChicago Medicine and lead author of the study. “Our statistical analysis suggests this may be true for the COVID-19 infection.”

The research team looked at 489 patients at UChicago Medicine whose vitamin D level had been measured within a year before being tested for COVID-19. Patients who had vitamin D deficiency (defined as less than 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood) that was not treated were almost twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 compared to patients who had sufficient levels of the vitamin.

In addition to vitamin D, Fauci said that vitamin C is “a good antioxidant.” “So if people want to take a gram or two at the most [of] vitamin C, that would be fine,” he said.

Vitamin C “contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions” of the body’s immune systems, according to 2017 study published by The National Institutes of Health, and vitamin C also appears to prevent and treat “respiratory and systemic infections.” according to researchers.

But “any of the other concoctions and herbs I would not do,” Fauci said.

During another interview with actress Tiffany Haddish released on Sept 4., Fauci said in clinical studies most “so-called” immune-boosting supplements didn’t really help people unless they had some sort of a deficiency. If fact, a lot of these herbs “either do nothing, or, if you take too much of them, they harm you,” Fauci told Haddish.

Overall, the best way to boost your immune system is to get good sleep and exercise, Fauci said. “Those are the things that are so much better than a bunch of herbs that really have never really been shown to do that,” Fauci told Haddish.

To read More:  https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/supplements-white-house-advisor-fauci-takes-every-day-to-help-keep-his-immune-system-healthy.html

References:

1. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/vitamin-d-deficiency-may-raise-risk-getting-covid-19-study-finds
2. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/supplements-white-house-advisor-fauci-takes-every-day-to-help-keep-his-immune-system-healthy.html