Saving Lives and the Benefits of Vitamin D, Zinc and Vitamin C.
This potentially life-saving video initiative was spearheaded by Tyler Perry and dermatologist Dr. Pearl E. Grimes, in collaboration with Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis, Nicole Ari Parker and notable medical experts.
At a time when COVID-19 disproportionately sickens and kills people of color at alarming rates, a team of leading Black celebrities and diverse medical experts have joined forces to help raise awareness about the benefits of D-Z-C (oral Vitamin D, Zinc and Vitamin C supplementation) as an accessible and affordable defense against the ravages of the novel coronavirus. This is especially important for darker-skinned people who generally have significantly lower Vitamin D levels.
Executive produced and directed by Felicia D. Henderson (WaterWalk Entertainment, November 2020) with music composed by Kurt Farquhar, “The Colors of Covid: Saving Lives and the Benefits of D-Z-C” reflects multiple recent studies from around the world that have reported the link between COVID-19 disease severity/death rates and low levels of Vitamin D. It has been well-established that a Vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system’s response to respiratory infections and other major systemic diseases.
World-renowned media mogul, actor and philanthropist Tyler Perry and globally recognized Los Angeles dermatologist Pearl E. Grimes, MD, FAAD have spearheaded this groundbreaking educational video, which also features superstars such as Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis and Nicole Ari Parker, along with leading medical experts dermatologist Henry Lim, MD, FAAD; surgeon Jonathan Sackier, MB, CHB; rheumatologist Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR, and nutritionist Lee Bell, NC, BCHN.
Dr. Grimes published a seminal hypothesis paper on low Vitamin D levels and COVID-19 infections in people of color in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (July 2020, with Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH and Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc). She has been a longtime champion of Vitamin D supplementation in patients of color, well before the pandemic underscored its vital importance in supporting immune health. In light of the dire COVID-19 outcomes in people of African and Latin descent, Dr. Grimes says her fervent mission to educate patients and the general public regarding the role of Vitamin D is about “our health, our humanity and saving lives.”
Comments Tyler Perry, “We must do all that we can to change the dismal COVID19 numbers for our community. We can practice self-care, we can support our overall health and our immune health in this vicious fight against the brutal enemy that is COVID-19.”
For more information, contact: projectdzc@pearlgrimesmd.com
