Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

The Connection Between Gut Health and COVID-19

14 Jul 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:39

Aaron Hartman, MD explains how gut dysbiosis worsens COVID-19 severity and why vitamin D matters. People with vitamin D levels above 50 had mortality risk below 0.005. Ireland distributed vitamin D to high-risk patients with lung disease.

Questions this video answers

Level over 50 (units not specified) was reported; associated mortality risk < 0.005.

Patients with COPD and cystic fibrosis.

Chapters

One of the interesting things we learned early on the pandemic is that individuals with dysbiosis or abnormal issues in their gut were more prone to severe Covid hospitalization. With COVID and death, which was also one of the reasons why kids did so well, because they didn't have more robust gut microbiomes. Early on as well, we learned that low vitamin D status is super critical. If your vitamin D level was over 50, then your chances of dying of COVID were less than 0.005. Such a big deal that actually in Ireland, their public health actually sent patients with COPD and cystic fibrosis, which, you know, patients with lung issues, the most likely to die from COVID They actually sent them vitamin D. So, you know, you gotta look at that status, and you have to look in your environment. What is going on that's keeping you stuck in.