Vitamin D can protect against colds, flu: Study

Vitamin D can protect against colds, flu and other respiratory infections, said a study on
Thursday which reopened a debate on the usefulness of over-the-counter supplements.

A review of 25 clinical trials in 14 countries yielded “the first defi 14 countries yielded “the
first definitive evidence“ of a link between vitamin D and flu prevention, researchers claimed
. For the study , researchers from the Queen Mary University of London conducted the
biggest-ever survey of trials involving nearly 11,000 people.

“The bottom line is that the protective effects of vitamin D supplementation are strongest in
those who have the lowest vitamin D levels, and when supplementation is given daily or
weekly rather than in more widely-spaced doses,“ lead researcher Adrian Martineau said in a
statement.

Vitamin D is thought to protect against respiratory infections, including bronchitis and
pneumonia, by boosting levels of antibiotic-like peptides in the lungs, said the team. This fits
with an observation that colds and flu are more common in winter and spring, when vitamin
D levels are lowest.

It may also explain why vitamin D seems to protect against asthma attacks, they said.

Source: The Times of India