Have you wondered or it may have interested you to know about the background and why the mortality rate of Covid-19 was drastically minimized, especially in some countries in Africa as compared to other continents? Look into this article and you might find a clue to the antiviral activities of Vitamin D. There is also a relationship between lockdown and uptake of Vitamin D through Sunlight exposure The Role of Vitamin D in COVID-19.

Our ancestors naturally maintained about 40 – 60ng/ml (100 – 125nmol/l) through an abundance of Sun exposure. Modern lifestyles involving Sun avoidance habits and lack of supplementation #micronutrients have led to widespread Vitamin D deficiency. Today, Vitamin D deficiency has become normal with about 1 billion people throughout the world maintaining levels well below 40ng/ml (100nmol/l). Researchers are beginning to discover that Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor associated with many diseases including heart disease, neurocognitive decline, and cancer in adults and children Association between Vit. D, Antimicrobial peptides and UTI in Children. Biofortified Tomato provide a new route to Vitamin D sufficiency

Though, natural plants are generally poor dietary sources of Vitamin D3 other than fish and dairy. Mushrooms and Yeast can be sources of Vitamin D2 by exposure to UVB light Melanoma and Vitamin D.

Tomatoes have been identified as the second most important fruit and vegetable crop next to Potatoes due to their global acceptance in health-promoting compounds including vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. These bioactive compounds have a wide range of physiological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-microbial, vasodilatory, anti-thrombotic, and anti-oxidant effects. No wonder actions were made on selecting Tomatoes to be edited genetically to produce a precursor to Vitamin D using an editing technique called CRISPR-Casp9 Scientists Create Tomatoes genetically edited to bolster Vitamin D level. Gene-edited Tomatoes could provide new source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D in Tomatoes. Tomato Fruit Development and Metabolism.

I believe there are lots of factors to be considered for the field trials scheduled for June 1, 2022, including environmental and climatic considerations. Could there be experimentation on African soil?