May 20, 2020
SOLIUS white paper on the potential impact vitamin D may have on treating and preventing COVID-19 has been released Request white paper here.
SOLIUS notes Vitamin D is not just a nutrient; it’s a hormone with receptors in nearly every cell and tissue of the body. Vitamin D functions as both a genetic and immune modulator and its widespread impact on different systems in the body are well known, offering a multi-pronged approach for maintaining a healthy immune system. Taking oral vitamin D supplements does not show similar results with any consistency. This is likely due to the very different way the body uses sunlight to produce hormones.
Early research suggests a potential link between vitamin D and COVID-19 outcomes. Several correlational studies have found an association between low levels of vitamin D and susceptibility to acute respiratory tract infections. Researchers from Northwestern University found a correlation between vitamin D levels and cytokine storms, a condition caused by an overactive immune system often seen in the most severe COVID-19 patients. Another study from Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom found an association between low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries.
While more clinical trials are needed to determine if endogenously created vitamin D could be effective for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, studies show that vitamin D plays a role in supporting innate and adaptive immune response, decreasing the risk and severity of respiratory infections, and maintaining balance in the Renin-Angiotensin system which helps control inflammatory response in the body.
The SOLIUS technology stimulates the production of vitamin D in the skin using a narrow spectrum of ultraviolet B (UVB) light. This technology can produce 10x more vitamin D than the sun, using 100x less ultraviolet energy. According to Bob Wise, CEO, “We are currently pursuing an ambitious research strategy, working with leading phototherapy and vitamin D experts, to study the impact vitamin D and SOLIUS may have on treating and preventing COVID-19.”