Vitamin D does not help with colds
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Scientists from the University of Otago in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand do not find convincing evidence that vitamin D can protect the body from colds.
" Vitamin D can neither prevent nor alleviate the symptoms of the disease," said lead author of the study, Professor Dr. David Murdoch. - To date, science has not known an effective way to prevent colds. And before you make any statement about the benefits of a vitamin or supplement, you need to carefully study their actions. "
A team of specialists led by Professor Murdoch conducted research involving 300 healthy adults whose vitamin D levels were normal. Under the supervision of physicians, half of the subjects took supplements that included vitamin D and the other half with placebo.
It turned out that during the period of studies that lasted eighteen months, 593 people were in the first group of cases with colds, and in the second group - 611. In both groups, the duration of the disease lasted about 12 days on average.
"In both groups, approximately the same number of patients was recorded, so we can conclude that vitamin D has no protective effect on the body and does not withstand the common cold. Our study for the first time provides convincing evidence supporting this fact, because previous studies of scientists had significant limitations that prevented to look at the picture in full. Usually this was due to a small number of participants in the experiment or with insufficient time spent on monitoring them. "
Experts note that taking supplements with vitamin D will be useful for people who suffer from its deficiency in the body, and also have problems with the respiratory system organs of a chronic nature.
Dr. Jeffrey Linder, the author of the accompanying article, advises a method that will surely protect a person from infection - just stay away from sneezing people, and if you have already "hooked" the infection, then try not to infect others and cover yourself with a napkin, and wash your hands more often.