Vitamin D Protects Against Viruses
A new study has found that vitamin D – long associated with good bone health – provides protection against viral respiratory tract infections, reducing their incidence and severity. One example of this type of infection would be influenza.
Researchers followed 198 healthy adults during the fall and winter of 2009 – 2010 and measured each individual’s ongoing blood levels of vitamin D in a seasonal period when these levels tend to fall due to the lack of sunlight. Levels were weighed against the incidence and symptoms of respiratory infections; those with the highest vitamin D levels experienced less illness and significantly reduced days of symptoms. Vitamin D is also known to support the body’s absorption of calcium to prevent osteoporosis, and has been linked to cardiovascular health.
This study was published June 15, 2010 by the open-access journal PLoS ONE and the full-text version is now available at: http://bit.ly/aXsUmY.
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