HoldsUp

FoundMyFitness · 2021-03-03 · Rhonda Patrick (host), Roger Seheult

Dr. Roger Seheult from MedCram on COVID-19 Vaccines, Vitamin D, and Heat Hydrotherapy

73 claims checked against research: 3 contradicted 5 overstated 5 needing context 49 supported 2 corroborated online 9 unverified

5

Overstated

0:22:24Roger Seheultoverstatedhigh

A British Medical Journal meta-analysis by Martineau and colleagues showed that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced acute respiratory tract infections by 50%.

"Martineau, who is the uh the lead author on that British Medical Journal uh meta-analysis that was done a number of years ago now, showed that supplementation with vitamin D decreased acute chest infections by 50% significantly uh in in that study." (said at 0:22:24)

The 2017 BMJ individual participant data meta-analysis by Martineau and colleagues (25 randomized controlled trials, 10,933 participants) found that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced the overall risk of acute respiratory tract infections, but by approximately 12% across all participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.96), not 50%. Substantial reductions were observed only in specific subgroups: participants receiving daily or weekly dosing who were severely vitamin D deficient (baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 25 nmol/L) experienced a 70% reduction (aOR 0.30, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.53), whereas bolus dosing showed no statistically significant benefit.

0:22:34Roger Seheultoverstatedlow

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) showed that vitamin D supplementation provided health benefits.

"Also in the the longer aging uh health study called TILDA in in Ireland showed that uh vitamin D supplementation was beneficial." (said at 0:22:34)

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is an observational prospective cohort study of community-dwelling older adults in Ireland. Data from TILDA established that low blood serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (vitamin D deficiency) were associated with adverse health markers and outcomes, including increased risk of incident depression, elevated C-reactive protein (inflammation), and higher risk of incident prediabetes. TILDA also confirmed that vitamin D supplement users had higher serum vitamin D levels. However, as an observational cohort study rather than an interventional clinical trial, TILDA demonstrated observational associations with serum vitamin D status rather than directly testing or proving the therapeutic health benefits of vitamin D supplementation.

0:30:20Rhonda Patrick (host)overstatedlow

Children with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the vitamin D receptor have a higher mortality from respiratory tract infections.

"So children that have a single nucleotide polymorphism in the vitamin D receptor, they also have a higher mortality from respiratory tract infections as well." (said at 0:30:20)

While several case-control studies have evaluated whether specific vitamin D receptor (VDR) single nucleotide polymorphisms (such as FokI rs2228570, rs2239185, ApaI, or TaqI) are associated with an increased susceptibility to or severity of pediatric respiratory tract infections (including community-acquired pneumonia and bronchiolitis), available evidence is mixed across populations and does not demonstrate an increase in mortality among affected children.

0:45:04Rhonda Patrick (host)overstatedmoderate

NHANES data indicate African-Americans are 30 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than Caucasians.

"In fact, African-Americans, this was NHANES data, the most recent NHANES data that was published, they're 30 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than Caucasians." (said at 0:45:04)

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data consistently show that African Americans have a substantially higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L or 20 ng/mL) compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. However, the difference in risk or prevalence is approximately 3- to 4-fold (e.g., ~65% vs. ~19% in NHANES 2011–2014), not 30 times more likely. Stating a 30-fold difference is a massive exaggeration of the NHANES findings.

1:00:15Rhonda Patrick (host)overstatedmoderate

A meta-analysis found that parenteral omega-3 supplementation in hospitalized patients reduces ICU length of stay and decreases mortality by up to 60%.

"there have been some interesting studies showing that, uh, omega-3 supplementation, um, there's been a meta-analysis showing that, um, supplementation in hospitals, like, prevents ICU stay or lowers ICU stay, prevents, um, mortality, and like by up to 60%. Um, I think they were—this was, um, parenteral" (said at 1:00:15)

Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support the claim that parenteral omega-3 (fish oil) lipid emulsions significantly reduce ICU length of stay (by approximately 1.9 to 2.1 days) and lower the risk of infectious complications and sepsis. However, the claim that parenteral omega-3 supplementation reduces mortality by up to 60% is a major overstatement. In meta-analyses of hospitalized and critically ill patients, mortality reductions were far smaller (around 16%) and did not reach statistical significance. The 60% figure in these meta-analyses describes either the relative risk of infection (RR 0.60, representing a 40% reduction) or a 56% reduction in sepsis risk, not a 60% decrease in mortality.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.