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Comment by throwaway829 | Hacker News Reader

I doubt anyone here thinks it's some kind of magic, but if you've been following the pandemic from the beginning, you've probably seen these two doctors who both recommend vitamin D:

- Dr. Seheult's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM2A2xNLWR4&t=821s - Dr John Campbell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCSXNGc7pfs&t=29s

It's cheap and has minimal downside. Pre-covid it was already known to "reduce symptoms of colds or influenza"[0].

[0] Benefits of Vitamin D Supplementation - Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons https://www.grc.com/health/pdf/Benefits_of_Vitamin_D_Supplem...

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I feel like we're just repeating the exact same arguments seen for Vitamin C. Which went through the same arguments (cure for colds, cure for cancer, recommended by doctors etc) and ended up generally being inconclusive as to whether or not it actually helped.

At this point I'm convinced vitamin supplements are a scam in 99% of situations. The only time they're useful is when you have an actual deficiency as prescribed by your primary doctor.

Vit C was thought to be helpful essentially based on the testimony of one biologist. All of the research shows that it has a minimal / marginal impact on wellness if you're getting a modest amount already.

All of the research on Vit D suggests it has a much stronger impact on wellness than most supplements. I remember a list of "supplements proven to improve performance by studies" and it was basically steroids, creatine, and vitamin D; everything else was marginal or not backed by research.

Vitamin supplements are mostly a scam, but you can increase your Vitamin D level for free.

For those that don’t know, Vitamin d is created when sunlight hits skin.

“The major natural source of the vitamin is synthesis of cholecalciferol in the lower layers of skin epidermis through a chemical reaction that is dependent on sun exposure (specifically UVB radiation)”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D

Which unfortunately doesn’t work well in the winter depending on how far you are from the equator.

It’s fat soluble so levels can be tested.

>For those that don’t know, Vitamin d is created when sunlight hits skin.

Actually it's when UVB rays hit the skin, and only during certain times of the day, and north of 37 degrees only during part of the year.

In order to get enough UVB rays to make Vitamin D you need sunlight from around noon, during spring summer and fall

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257661/

Yes and no:

“Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north”[1].

Also everybody’s production of vitamin D is different. There are plenty of people who work outside all day and still have insufficient levels.

[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/time-for-more...

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