COVID-19 is a global pandemic and scientists are looking for factors and indicators that may protect the public. The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality,1 a publication by Petre Cristian Ilie, Simina Stefanescu, Lee Smith, studies this topic providing relevant data. The study reveals that in Louisiana, African Americans account for 70% of COVID-19 deaths despite representing only 32% of the population.2 The study also notes that VDI affects 80-90% of the African American population.
In a Boston homeless shelter, 100% of 147 COVID-19 positive subjects were asymptomatic.3 Homeless persons generally have poorer health and nutrition, but can have greater exposure to sunlight, the source of 80-90% of the body’s vitamin D6.
Vitamin D is a nutraceutical agent, which is necessary for good health, particularly normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases. However, the sufficient amount of this vitamin needed for daily intake is not found in most foods which leads to many producers choosing to develop vitamin-enriched products. Strategies to increase the bioavailability of Vitamin D are sought. Several peer reviewed publications link a more stable emulsion to higher bio-availability of Vitamin D. Oil in water emulsions and liposomes are considered as the best approach to effective nutraceuticals.
O/W Emulsions or liposomes with a tighter distribution of smaller particles known to create a more homogeneous solution with longer shelf life. Product manufacturers seek the ideal homogeneous emulsion which entails formulation, minimum particle size and uniform dispersion of particles. High Pressure Homogenizers are the most efficient fluid processing equipment for creating these liposomes, nano and micro emulsions. BEE (Best Emulsifying Equipment) is renowned for their high-pressure homogenizers which are designed for sanitary particle size reduction to create stable emulsions.
BEE International technology is scalable, so the results produced on the smallest R&D device can be reproduced on the largest manufacturing equipment. This is crucial for industries needing to fast track formulations from R&D to clinical trials to manufacturing.
1. Petre Cristian Ilie, Simina Stefanescu, Lee Smith., The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality. Received: 30 March 2020 / Accepted: 15 April 2020.
2. Frank H. Lau, Rinku Majumder, Radbeh Torabi, Fouad Saeg, Ryan Hoffman, JeffreyD.Cirillo, Patrick Greiffenstein, Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent in severe COVID-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.24.20075838.