- Functional Food for your Genes
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by k.mammasis
When news of a cluster of severe pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China was first reported to the World Health Organization on Dec31 2019, none of us would have expected the virus to spread so quickly throughout the world with Singapore confirming its first case of COVID on Jan23 2020. Things escalated quickly and a ministerial task force was formed to tackle all issues and problems pertaining to the coronavirus. The rest is history. There is one increasingly established scientific fact: The consumption of Vitamin D Foods in Covid-19 patients helps towards a faster recovery 1.
In the battle against COVID-19, the world has made great strides. Right now, each and every one of us is learning to coexist with the virus and the onus is on everyone to take charge of their health by adequately equipping their bodies with the right and optimum nutrition to prevent, fight and control the effects of each infectious wave. The Omicron BA.5 wave, the most recent, is currently abating. However, it is important that everyone stays vigilant with the potential occurrence of more variants and waves as COVID-19 will remain with us for quite some time.
Vitamin D Foods and COVID-19
At MILESTONE, we truly believe that Foods with Vitamin D3 can play a significant role in combating COVID and as such offer the most innovative and holistic solutions that target inflammation within the body caused by the virus.
Through large observational studies conducted in different parts of the world, it has been found that there is a connection between the levels of Vitamin D and the effects on COVID-19 2 3. A deficiency in Vitamin D has been observed in the following:
- People who require hospitalization after contracting the virus.
- People who are tested positive and take a considerably longer time to test negative.
- People who are more elderly. This can be attributed to the fact that with age, the skin receptors become less effective in converting the UVB rays of the sun into Vitamin D, even with a minimum exposure of between 20 to 30 minutes daily.
- People with darker skin tones. For those with darker skin tones, the melanin in the skin becomes a barrier for sunlight to penetrate through and prevents the smooth conversion of Vitamin D from cholesterol.
The “Cytokine Storm” in people who experience COVID
A cytokine storm is a type of immune system overreaction which can make illnesses like COVID-19 and even influenza lethal. Small proteins known as cytokines are generated by a variety of cells throughout the body and include immune system cells which coordinate the body’s defense against infection and thereby promote inflammation 4 5. The Greek words for cell (cyto) and movement (kinos) are where the word “cytokine” comes from. The body’s reaction to illness can occasionally go into overdrive so for instance, when SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, infects the lungs, the immune system reacts by drawing immune cells to the area to fight the virus, which causes localized inflammation 6. However, in some patients, excessive or uncontrolled cytokine release results in the activation of additional immune cells which can result in hyperinflammation.
In the event of a “cytokine storm”, elevating Vitamin D levels in the body can play a significant role in modulating the autoimmune response which could otherwise overwhelm bodily systems and result in possible symptoms which include the following:
- Fever or chills
- Persistent Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
With the intake of Functional Foods for Vitamin D3, we may be able to greatly reduce the severity of the above symptoms and strengthen the body’s immunity to cope with all kinds of viral attacks and bacterial infections. This is the reason that makes Vitamin D Foods an effective solution in COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Ben Ng, an endocrinologist from Arden Endocrinology Specialist Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre in Singapore mentioned that:
Considering that it will benefit musculoskeletal health and may help with overall Covid-19 risk, I would encourage all patients who may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency to consider taking vitamin D replacement. Adding a daily dose of 400-1,000 units is extremely safe and unlikely to cause harm.
The MILESTONE® Intervention
At MILESTONE®, we offer two liquid functional formulas that truly are the best in Vitamin D Food. They are highly bioavailable and very efficient and effective in assisting the body to utilize this important fat-soluble steroid hormone to bind to its receptors and go into the nucleus of cells. This will affect how cells transcribe DNA and make proteins that drive bodily processes. To put it simply, Vitamin D3 can influence how your cells in the body behave by enhancing or inhibiting cell functions depending on what is needed for the body to function optimally. You may read more on the top foods for strengthening your immune system. Alternatively, you may also be interested in reading about the best 5 vegan foods for vitamin D3.
High Phenolic Olive + Algae Vegan Vitamin D3 Oil
A crowd favourite amongst our clients is the High Phenolic Olive + Algae Vegan Vitamin D3 Oil and it beats all the other supplements out there hands down in terms of the formula’s ability to help our body absorb nutrients optimally. This is all achievable as we harness the unique natural properties found in our exclusive hybrid olive tree and indoor cultivated algae through fermentation, providing you with vitamin D3, Omega 6, Omega 9 and nature’s most effective Polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleaocanthal, oleacin among others). All these ingredients work synergistically enhance absorption of calcium and phosphorous required for strong bones and teeth as well as ensure the smooth functioning of the immune system. To put in simply, our highly concentrated phenolic olive oil is naturally fortified with the most potent form of D3 obtained from algae to provide you with 50 times more antioxidants as compared to your everyday olive oil. This results in a highly sought-after organic functional food for the immune that is perfect for fighting off viruses and bacterial infections as well as the strengthening of bones.
Pomegranate Concentrate with Vegan Curcumin + Vitamin D3
Another highly sought-after vegan food for Vitamin D3 is MILESTONE®’s Pomegranate Concentrate with Vegan Curcumin + Vitamin D3 formula that contains powerful vegan anti-inflammatory foods. 25 high quality organic pomegranates in each bottle provide the body with a strong anti-inflammatory response that is further heightened with the presence of vitamin D3. On top of that, the liquid curcumin is specially encased in tiny spheres called micelles to enable rapid entry into the bloodstream and remain there far more effectively than the other turmeric supplements available. After conducting 3 human clinical trials, it is proven by nutritional scientists to be 185 times better in terms of bioavailability than anything on the market currently. In other words, the absorption rate of our functional foods into your body is as little as 66 minutes (compared to 450 minutes for native curcumin) and is as long-lasting as 24 hours (in contrast to 2 hours for native curcumin). All these attributes allow our formula to treat inflammation, boost muscle recovery and strengthen the immune system.
Summary
Vitamin D Foods are the best natural solution to support you against COVID-19. In this way, your body will be building up Vitamin D levels in a healthy and sustainable manner. Prevention is always better than cure and so while we adapt to living with COVID, it is necessary to take steps to enhance our overall health and even for long term COVID sufferers, functional foods for Vitamin D3 will be beneficial in lowering the severity of side effects and getting them on a road to better recovery. There are so many health benefits associated with the daily intake of vitamin D3 that you can’t ignore. If you are a parent, you may be interested in reading our parent’s guide on Vitamin D3. At MILESTONE® we research and develop the most innovative functional foods for vitamin D3 deficiencies. Vitamin D3 has a great anti-inflammatory response, boosts the immune system, supports brain function, promotes bone health, and is essential for kid development. So, if you are ready to dive into the world of functional foods, feel free to navigate to our corresponding foods for immune category and discover the benefits of our functional foods for vitamin D3 deficiencies.
A Word From MILESTONE®
MILESTONE® Food for your Genes uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
- Clinic Barcelona[↩]
- Ul Afshan F, Nissar B, Chowdri NA, Ganai BA. Relevance of vitamin D3 in COVID-19 infection. Gene Rep. 2021 Sep;24:101270. doi: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101270. Epub 2021 Jul 7. PMID: 34250314; PMCID: PMC8260490.[↩]
- Kaya MO, Pamukçu E, Yakar B. The role of vitamin D deficiency on COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021074. doi: 10.4178/epih.e2021074. Epub 2021 Sep 23. PMID: 34607398; PMCID: PMC8769802.[↩]
- Montazersaheb, S., Hosseiniyan Khatibi, S.M., Hejazi, M.S. et al. COVID-19 infection: an overview on cytokine storm and related interventions. Virol J 19, 92 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-022-01814-1[↩]
- Rabaan AA, Al-Ahmed SH, Muhammad J, Khan A, Sule AA, Tirupathi R, Mutair AA, Alhumaid S, Al-Omari A, Dhawan M, Tiwari R, Sharun K, Mohapatra RK, Mitra S, Bilal M, Alyami SA, Emran TB, Moni MA, Dhama K. Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in COVID-19 Patients: A Review on Molecular Mechanisms, Immune Functions, Immunopathology and Immunomodulatory Drugs to Counter Cytokine Storm. Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;9(5):436. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9050436. PMID: 33946736; PMCID: PMC8145892.[↩]
- , et al Vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 virus/COVID-19 disease [↩]