[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 197 (Thursday, November 19, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5986-H5987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             VITAMIN D AND REDUCING COVID-19 MORTALITY RATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Grothman) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, this speech is being given kind of on 
short notice, a little earlier than I expected. But we don't want to 
have the listening audience back home get any dead air, so I am rushing 
to give the talk. Hopefully, you will be satisfied, with not an excess 
of preparation.
  Today, I address something I don't think has been addressed nearly 
enough with regard to the crisis of the COVID virus. In the last couple 
of weeks, we have gone over 250,000 deaths at least partially 
attributed to the coronavirus, and I want to talk about something we 
can do to decrease that number of deaths that I think has been far and 
away underpublicized, underpublicized despite the fact that we have 
appropriated over $3 trillion to fighting this disease, underpublicized 
despite the fact that public health professionals are constantly being 
interviewed on our news programs and are out and about on 
advertisements telling us what we can do to reduce the huge number of 
deaths attributed to this disease.
  One thing I want to do today is I am going to talk one more time 
about vitamin D. I know some of the folks back home are familiar with 
vitamin D, but I don't think the huge number of studies that recommend 
vitamin D have been publicized anywhere near enough.
  Right before I got here, I was talking to one of my constituents back 
home, a bright, well-informed person. He was surprised that vitamin D 
can be used to reduce the mortality rate from the COVID.
  I want to go over some of the things that have been determined about 
vitamin D. We have had many universities doing studies. I mentioned all 
the way back in April and May, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and 
Northwestern University down in Illinois have found studies showing a 
strong correlation between vitamin D deficiencies in patients leading 
to COVID complications and mortality.
  Those with adequate vitamin D levels were less likely to experience 
hyperinflammation within their lungs and less susceptible to severe 
COVID symptoms.
  Recently, in September, the University of Chicago Medicine and 
University of Boston Medicine, both conducted research studies 
substantiating the preliminary evidence between the correlation between 
vitamin D deficiencies and even getting COVID-19.
  Professors at Harvard have also published articles highlighting 
vitamin D's benefits for respiratory health and mentioning the 
connection between vitamin D and COVID-19 as quite compelling.
  European health professionals and right now the U.K., they have upped 
their recommendation for vitamin D among their citizens, something that 
it is high time our professionals were more aggressive in doing.
  In late October, as part of a study in the Journal of Clinical 
Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers looked at 216 COVID-19 
patients in a hospital in Spain. Over 80 percent of the patients were 
deficient in vitamin D if they had severe COVID. Only 40 percent of the 
population as a whole had longer hospital stays and higher inflammatory 
markers within their lungs.
  If you look at this, again and again and again, the researchers are 
talking about the correlation between adequate levels of vitamin D and 
not having as much mortality or serious things happening, and you 
wonder why our public health professionals and the CDC are not talking 
about this more, as they should.
  I know a couple of months ago, finally, Dr. Fauci talked about 
evidence of vitamin D's benefits, after waiting months and months for 
it. He finally talked about it, but he only talked about it in some 
interview with a Hollywood personality. He shouldn't wait

[[Page H5987]]

for a Hollywood personality asking questions to point out that he 
himself, as the most prominent member of our public health community, 
takes vitamin D.

  How much vitamin D should you take? I have talked to different 
doctors.
  By the way, I come to this conclusion not just by looking at the 
plethora of research studies done by colleges and universities around 
the world, but by talking to individual doctors. Right before coming up 
here, I talked to a doctor from my district who routinely, every day, 
takes 5,000 international units of vitamin D.
  I will point out that is not the only way you can get vitamin D. You 
can get vitamin D from wonderful, healthy milk, and you can get vitamin 
D as well from interaction with the Sun.
  Sadly, during a lot of this coronavirus, people have been encouraged 
to stay inside rather than outside and getting the Sun, which would 
actually increase your vitamin D levels.
  I would ask Dr. Fauci, the CDC, the NIH, and public health 
professionals across the country: When you begin to tell people what 
you can do to save yourself or save your loved ones, make sure they are 
taking their vitamin D.

                              {time}  1730

  There are obviously some communities more than other communities who 
are susceptible to vitamin D deficiencies. People with darker skin are 
much more likely to be vitamin D deficient; and, therefore, if you have 
darker skin, pay special attention to the necessity of taking vitamin 
D.
  Again, it is not just for yourself. Make sure if you have any loved 
ones with cardiovascular problems, loved ones who may be a little 
overweight--I am a little overweight here, so I am not signaling 
anybody out, but if you are a little bit overweight, make sure you are 
taking that vitamin D. If you have got any diabetes, make sure you are 
taking that vitamin D.
  Actually, earlier today, I found out another acquaintance of mine 
from back in the district passed away from COVID, and it kind of bugs 
me that the vitamin D is not being stressed.
  A little while ago, I had the Surgeon General in my district. He 
rattled off five things to do. And they always talk about social 
distances. Fine. They always talk about masks. Fine. They always talk 
about wash your hands. Fine. But they don't talk about vitamin D, 
despite all of these studies.
  I don't have an exact figure, but I would bet, if the entire American 
public had adequate levels of vitamin D--and right now, about 40 
percent of the American population does not have adequate levels--I 
would bet that the number of fatalities in this country would be 
decreased by at least a third.
  Like I said, none of these studies have an exact amount, but I think 
that could be that high. And if that is true, you are talking about 
maybe 80,000 deaths if only the public health professionals would put 
taking vitamin D in the same talks they give you about a mask or social 
distancing or whatever.
  I am going to point out that it is more important than ever because 
we are going into the winter, and in winter you get what? At least in 
Wisconsin, you go outside less and you get less sun. And going outside 
less and getting less sun are both things that are going to accelerate 
the number of people who get the COVID, and get the COVID seriously.
  So now I will say it one more time to emphasize: It is a good time to 
make a list of all the older people or people with preexisting 
conditions and make sure they get vitamin D.
  Actually, as I am giving the talk up here, I would suggest for 
Thanksgiving--or for Christmas, even--stopping by one of our fine 
chains of drugstores and getting some vitamin D.
  You can, on your own, look on the internet and hear what they say 
about zinc. A lot of people say some zinc is good as well, 
supplementing it. It is something else you don't hear the professionals 
talk about a lot, but when I talk to doctors in their own right, talk 
to nurses in their own right, yes, grab some zinc as well. They talk 
about patients who are taking both vitamin D and zinc and how they have 
almost no patients who have had to be hospitalized for the COVID.
  So, in summary, I want to emphasize for the political geeks who tune 
in and watch this show: Make sure you are taking your vitamin D. Make 
sure you give vitamin D to older people who you know or people with 
preexisting conditions.
  I especially emphasize to any public health professionals who are 
watching this little speech: Next time you are giving a talk on the 
radio station or if anybody is out there preparing the next set of 
commercials on how to deal with the COVID, emphasize the vitamin D and 
familiarize yourself with the studies from Trinity College in Ireland, 
the Spanish studies, what has been said at Harvard, the studies at 
Northwestern, and the studies at the University of Chicago and you will 
learn a little bit more about things your occupation ought to be 
talking about.
  So that is all the time I have today, and thank you for allowing me 
to give this little speech.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair, not to a perceived viewing audience.

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