Study shows vitamin D helps prevent flu

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enough Vitamin D can protect you from influenzaa study shows.

Vitamin D, often Known as the “sunshine vitamin” because it is used by the body Sunlightfound in foods such as oily fish, red meat and egg yolks.

However, due to lack of daylight hours In the UK, around one in six people spend the winter Vitamin D levels in the UK lower than government advice.

It has long been known to be essential for bone and muscle health, but a new study by University of Surrey A correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections.

exist studypublished in American Journal of Clinical NutritionResearchers say people with severe vitamin D deficiencies are more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Vitamin D is produced by the body using sunlight and is found in foods such as oily fish, red meat and egg yolks (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Lead author Abi Bournot from the University of Surrey said vitamin D is thought to have “antibacterial and antiviral properties” that could help reduce the risk of respiratory infections.

“This study is accompanied by hard data to support this theory. Despite its importance for our overall health, many people are vitamin D deficient and do not meet the government recommended daily intake of 10 micrograms of vitamin D,” she added.

In the study, researchers from the Universities of Surrey, Oxford and Reading analyzed data from 36,000 adults in the UK to understand how vitamin D levels affect hospitalization rates for respiratory infections.

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Previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of COVID-19, but this time the researchers looked at both bacterial and viral illnesses, such as influenza, pneumonia and bronchitis.

The results showed that people with severe vitamin D deficiency (blood vitamin D concentration less than 15 nmol/L) were 33% more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory infections. This is compared with people whose optimal levels were over 75nmol/L.

For every 10 nmol/L increase in vitamin D in the blood, the number of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases will decrease by 4%.

Study author Dr Andrea Darling from the University of Surrey said respiratory infections were “a major threat to public health” and could lead to hospitalization and put pressure on health services. But he explained that eating vitamin D-fortified foods could reduce this risk and reduce pressure on the NHS.