After speaking with his doctors, Tyler Perry wants black people to get outside for some much-needed sunlight.
The movie mogul posted a nearly three-minute video to his Instagram TV page Monday explaining the importance of Vitamin D.
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Before he did, however, he stressed it is not a cure for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated people with lung disease are at higher risk of contracting.
“Please hear me clearly. This is not a cure for COVID-19,” he said.
Then, he explained that it's common for black people to be deficient in Vitamin D because melanin blocks it. Perry also shared he'd read a study about the link between lacking the nutrient and dying from the disease.
"What I read in a study out of Spain, Italy and China is that a lot of people who died from COVID were low in vitamin D," he said. "Now listen to me, I think that if... this entire nation were keeping record of who was dying and if they were low in vitamin D or deficient in different areas, we would know it. But apparently, no one is keeping a record, which is insane to me."
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Perry urged black people to “take care of ourselves” and get in touch with their doctors to check their Vitamin D levels. He also mentioned that not only black people are lacking in it.
“Vitamin D can help with immune and respiratory health,” he said.
According to Healthline, Vitamin D is a nutrient that is especially important for the immune system. While there is indeed no cure for COVID-19, research shows having healthy levels of the nutrient can help keep the immune system healthy. It may also help generally protect against respiratory illnesses.
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