Lack of sunshine vitamin may trigger colds, according to a study published this week in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

 

It has long been shown that vitamin D plays an important role in the way the body’s immune system fights diseases. People lacking this vitamin are more susceptible to cancer, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and diseases of the nervous system.

 

The new study carried out by researchers at from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children's Hospital Boston reveals that vitamin D plays a significant role in helping the body prevent colds and lack of the vitamin during winter time could be the main reason for which so many people catch the infection.

 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on vitamin D levels and respiratory infections from nearly 19,000 adults and teens who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988 to 1994.

 

The study showed that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 36 percent increased risk of catching a cold compared with those with the highest levels. For those suffering from asthma with the lowest vitamin D levels, the risk of catching a cold was six times higher, while for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, low levels of the vitamin more than doubled the risk of cold.

 

Based on the findings of this study the researchers “are planning clinical trials to test the effectiveness of vitamin D to boost immunity and fight respiratory infection, with a focus on individuals with asthma and COPD, as well as children and older adults – groups that are at higher risk for more severe illness,” said study author Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery in the division of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.