Vitamin D supplements could help millions of people, keeping them away from the common colds or flu every year, say British researchers.
Vitamin D, as you probably already know, is vital to maintaining healthy bones, but it also plays an important role in the immune system.
Experts say the immune system uses vitamin D to produce certain antimicrobial “weapons” that actually cause damage to bacteria and viruses, but because vitamin D is produced in the skin while it is exposed to the sun, many people have a deficiency in winter months.
Clinical trials on the use of vitamin D supplements to prevent infections have so far yielded mixed results, so the researchers gathered information from 11,321 people in 25 separate studies to try to get a clear answer in this respect .
The team of scientists at Queen Mary University of London analyzed respiratory tract infections that cover a wide range of diseases and illnesses, ranging from flu to pneumonia. Generally speaking, the study concluded that a person would be relieved of an infection for every 33 supplements with vitamin D taken.
People who take vitamin D supplements daily or weekly noticed even greater improvements than those who take high monthly doses, and these benefits have also been seen in people who initially suffered from vitamin D deficiency.
Previous studies have reported independent associations between low serum vitamin D concentrations and the likelihood of an acute infection of the respiratory tract. One of the researchers involved in this study concluded that daily or weekly vitamin D supplements will mean fewer people will make at least one acute respiratory infection per year.
For this reason, many British specialists recommend administering vitamin D supplements in the fall and winter months, especially as they help us maintain healthy bones and muscles.
British researchers also bring out arguments from other studies, such as the fact that 25-hydroxy vitamin D supports the induction of antimicrobial peptides in response to both viral and bacterial stimuli, suggesting a potential mechanism by which vitamin D protection against respiratory pathogens could be mediated.
Also, people who do not enjoy enough sun rays because they have a more sensitive skin type or because they spend a lot of time indoors should take vitamin D all year long, experts say.
Mixed opinions
Although not all scientists are convinced by the argument that vitamin D can be used as an ally against common colds and flu, the meta-analysis of data obtained individually from the 10,993 participants from 25 controlled trials has generally shown that vitamin D supplementation helps against acute infections of the respiratory tract.
Even so, the opinions of the scientists are divided and there are skeptics, who do not think using vitamin D supplements can prevent certain illnesses. Other researchers point out that further randomized controlled trials on this subject are still needed. There are a number of scientists who were not convinced that vitamin D could fight colds and flu, and say there is insufficient evidence currently to support the recommendation of vitamin D in treating respiratory problems.
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