Vitamin D: For Lung Health Too

Filed in archive Studies , Treatment on May 29, 2006

According to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 22nd, teeners who consume low amounts of vitamin D have lower lung function that those who get the recommended amount (200 IU of vitamin D per day).

"These are adolescents who should have optimal pulmonary function," said lead researcher Jane Burns, ScD, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston. "If they're already showing lower pulmonary function associated with lower vitamin D intake at this age, it may have long-term effects on their health."

Vitamin is well known as an important nutrient for bone health by helping absorb calcium and can be mostly found in fortified dairy products, egg yolks, saltwater fish and liver, including calcium supplements fortified with vitamin D.

Recent studies however, have linked vitamin D to lung health as well. The mechanism by which vitamin D promotes lung health is not yet known but the nutrient is known to have an effect on the immune system. Therefore the "effects of Vitamin D on the pulmonary function" is an area worth exploring.

Source: EurekAlert