Private MD News

Vitamin D benefits a range of respiratory conditions

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Individuals who suffer from poor lung health may benefit from a vitamin D test, as evidence continues to stack up showing that the nutrient improves a range of lung conditions.

Earlier this week, a study published in the journal Chest found that patients with higher vitamin D levels were less likely to develop potentially deadly autoimmune lung conditions. Now, a new investigation published in the journal The Lancet indicates that vitamin D may help individuals recover from tuberculosis (TB).

For the study, researchers from the London School of Medicine and Dentistry analyzed a group of tuberculosis patients. Half were given dietary supplements containing vitamin D while the rest were given a placebo. The researchers found that those given the supplements recovered from the infection an average of one week faster.

"The findings of this study, which was funded by the British Lung Foundation, show great promise in speeding up the antibiotic treatment of TB for those patients which are receptive to vitamin D," said Ian Jerrold, who led the study.

The results of the investigation add to a growing body of evidence supporting vitamin D's role in maintaining respiratory health. Earlier studies have shown that it may also improve the symptom control of those with asthma and reduce the risk of respiratory infections.