Home
Addiction
Low Vitamin D Levels Associated with Colds and Flu Infections
New research suggests low levels of vitamin D are associated with a higher incidence of respiratory tract infections such as colds or the flu.
Other evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and may help prevent infections.
In this study researchers examined the association between vitamin D levels and respiratory infections in 18 883 participants 12 years and older.
The results of the research indicated that upper respiratory tract infections were significantly more prevalent among individuals with the lowest vitamin D levels compared to those with the highest levels.
The association between low vitamin D levels and respiratory tract infections seemed to be stronger in individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The authors note that randomized controlled trials are warranted to explore the effects of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory tract infections.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 200 international units (IU) for people up to 50 years old. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old and 600 IU for people over 70 years old. Norman's recommendation for all adults is to have an average daily intake of at least 2000 IU.
Ingestion of extremely high doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition in which the blood's calcium level is above normal. The highest daily 'safe' dose of vitamin D is 10,000 IU.
References:
1. Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr. Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90. PMID: 19237723.
2. Image by filiachan.
More Nutrition Related Articles
A team of researchers has identified the active compounds that contribute to the health benefits of pre-germinated brown rice; the healthy components are a related set of sterol-like molecules
|
75 percent of Americans do not get enough Vitamin D according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers have found that Vitamin D deficiency may negatively
|
A study published by The American Physiological Society has found that mice fed the flavanoid quercetin were less likely to get the flu.
Quercetin is a flavanoid with antioxidant
|
Could eating nuts be a strategy to fight off the Big Three health problems: heart disease, cancer and diabetes? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved food label claims that nuts
|
Purple carrots were grown wild 5,000 years ago in the area now known as Afghanistan. Carrots only became orange in the 1500's when patriotic Dutch growers developed a carrot in an attempt to
|
Latest Health News
 Tuesday, 09 February 2010
A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking
|
 Tuesday, 09 February 2010 {loadposition cardio_ads}
High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired
|
 Monday, 08 February 2010
Workers exposed to tricholorethylene (TCE), a chemical once widely used to clean metal such as auto parts, may be at
|
 Monday, 08 February 2010
Consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold
|
 Monday, 08 February 2010
The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease have been challenged in a new
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |