Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Can Vitamin D Ward Off Colds and Flu?
Influenza, or the flu, is an acute infection usually involving the upper respiratory tract. Outbreaks of influenza occur each winter and last for two to three months, leading to infection in 10 to 20 percent of the population. Influenza can worsen the symptoms experienced by people who have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma. It can also make a person more prone to a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, or the flu virus itself can cause pneumonia.
- There is some evidence that vitamin D is associated with a reduction in the likelihood of developing a respiratory infection -- or at least making one less severe.
A recent study led by researchers at Yale University followed 198 healthy adults over the course of a fall and winter and tested their blood every month to measure their levels of vitamin D. Among individuals with vitamin D levels lower than 38 ng/mL, about 45 percent came down with a viral infection. However, in the group with vitamin D levels of 38 ng/mL or higher, only 16 percent became ill.
The findings raise the question of whether taking vitamin D supplements to achieve a blood level of 38 ng/mL or higher could boost the immune system and ward off flu. They may also explain why flu outbreaks don't occur in the summer, when people are more likely to be exposed to sunlight, a natural source of vitamin D. The findings were published in the journal PLoS ONE.
What to do. Although these findings don't definitively prove that vitamin D can ward off colds, adequate vitamin D is important, nonetheless, because it helps maintain strong bones. Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to determine if you're vitamin D deficient.
Posted in Lung Disorders on February 16, 2012
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
Notify Me
Would you like us to inform you when we post new Lung Disorders Health Alerts?
Comments
Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.
The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or Remedy Health Media, LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.
Post a Comment
Already a subscriber?
Login
New to Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
