To say that Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on all our daily lives across the globe is an understatement. The impact of Covid-19 varies significantly among individuals due to many contributing factors. Comorbidities play a significant role in an individual’s ability to fight off the virus as does the strength of one’s immune system. It is always important for us to seek to build up and maintain a healthy immune system for our bodies to work at peak performance, and it is more important than ever as we have gone through this global pandemic.
Americans have notoriously low levels of magnesium. Magnesium is critically important in the optimal functioning of our immune system for many reasons. One key function is how it works to activate vitamin D. A study was done among 40 people who tested positive for Covid-19 while being asymptomatic or having mild symptoms. Some were supplemented with vitamin D over a two-week period to achieve the optimal range of vitamin D in their systems, while others were given a placebo. Those taking the supplements tested negative for the virus after three weeks at a rate of three times higher than those taking the placebo.
Studies have found that vitamin D and magnesium deficiency were present in over 80 percent of patients who suffered from severe cases of the virus. In a study conducted in Singapore, Covid-19 patients over 50 that were given supplementation of vitamin D, B12, and magnesium had a significantly lower risk of needing oxygen therapy (87% less than those not receiving the supplements). Those receiving the supplements were also 85% less likely to require intensive care.
These studies suggest that increasing levels of magnesium and vitamin D into the optimal ranges is a simple, inexpensive, and safe way for many to build up their immune system’s ability to fight off the Covid-19 virus without the need for serious medical interventions.
“New Research Suggests Magnesium and Vitamin D Can Help Reduce COVID-19 Infections.” Saint Luke’s Health System, www.saintlukeskc.org/about/news/new-research-suggests-magnesium-and-vitamin-d-can-help-reduce-covid-19-infections.