While previous studies have shown vitamin D can trigger immune responses to certain pathogens, results from trials examining the infection prevention efficacy of vitamin D supplements have been conflicting.
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To further assess the supplement’s possible influence on immune response, an international team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis of individual participant data from 25 vitamin D trials involving a total of 11,321 participants. After adjusting for age, sex, study length and other potentially influencing factors, researchers found vitamin D supplementation resulted in a 12 percent reduction in the number of participants who experienced at least one acute respiratory tract infection.
“Vitamin D supplementation was safe and it protected against acute respiratory tract infection overall,” concluded the study’s authors. “Our results add to the body of evidence supporting the introduction of public health measures such as food fortification to improve vitamin D status, particularly in settings where profound vitamin D deficiency is common.”
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