Study: Vitamin D can help protect against TB contraction

The maintenance of an adequate level of vitamin D could help protect against the contraction of tuberculosis (TB), a new study has established.

Research conducted at the Catholic University of Korea's College of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has found that vitamin D has a positive impact on the human breathing function.

After studying more than 10,000 Korean adults, experts at the institute came to the conclusion that the more vitamin D – which is mainly absorbed through sunlight – in an individual's body, the better their lungs tend to perform.

Furthermore, the research showed that people with TB included in their medical history had markedly lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D – the vitamin D biomarker – in their blood than those who have never suffered from the disease.

As such, the specialists noted that vitamin D not only helps bone strength, but also plays a major role in lung health, regardless of age, gender, weight or lifestyle.