Numerous healthcare professionals believe that vitamin D helps with respiratory health, but how significant is vitamin D in preventing respiratory health issues?
A strong immune system is essential in the battle against many types of infections, including respiratory infections, but experts disagree about the extent to which vitamin D contributes to respiratory health. However, existing research shows that vitamin D is much more effective than other vitamins and supplements at preventing respiratory infections. Researchers discovered that supplementing with vitamin D helps to decrease the risk of developing acute upper respiratory infections based on results from numerous studies. Vitamin D can be useful for preventing the common cold, and it has also been proven to improve respiratory health in individuals. This article will explore how vitamin D can be one of several tools to help you improve your respiratory health.
Vitamin D’s Role in Improving your Respiratory Health
Bone Health and Beyond
It is already well known by many people that vitamin D can help improve your bone health. As we previously discussed, vitamin D can help the body absorb calcium, which is very essential for improving your bone health. In addition to helping prevent osteoporosis, vitamin D has several other health benefits. Vitamin D can improve the function of your nervous and muscle systems and it helps to reduce inflammation.
Notably, vitamin D can also help to improve your immune system, which allows your body to more effectively fight against respiratory infections. While vitamin D supplements are often sold because they can improve bone health and provide other health benefits, special attention should be given to the fact that vitamin D can improve respiratory health as well.
The Immune System and Vitamin D
The immune system protects the body from germs and viruses by enforcing its defenses. An essential function of the immune system is to eliminate foreign invaders while simultaneously building up protection against future illnesses. Vitamin D has been proven to provide the human body with increased resistance to infection and also reduce inflammation. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency is a very serious health issue that can lead to many types of negative health outcomes. In particular, vitamin D insufficiency has been related to an increased risk of infections, including respiratory infections.
Studies On the Prevention of Respiratory Infections With Vitamin D
As further research has been conducted on the health benefits of vitamin D, it has become very clear that vitamin D plays a key role in boosting our immune systems and helping to prevent various types of infections. Notably, vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased risk of developing respiratory tract infections and mycobacterial infections. Vitamin D can be effective when given to someone suffering from this type of health issue, but vitamin D supplements could be more useful if one continuously takes them, as this could reduce the risk of developing respiratory infections.
Various research studies have shown that vitamin D is able to reduce the risk of individuals developing respiratory infections. One such study published in BMJ outlined the health benefits of vitamin D supplements, and how vitamin D supplementation provided additional protection for individuals who were vitamin D deficient. Because of this, it is worthwhile for elderly or vulnerable individuals to consider vitamin D supplementation to boost their immune systems and to potentially help them avoid respiratory infections.
With most types of health issues, many people tend to focus on the elderly or people above the age of 40, who may be more vulnerable due to the presence of other health issues and/or a weaker immune system. However, Vitamin D supplements may also be very crucial for children, given that 16% of all deaths in children under the age of 5 occurred because of pneumonia or influenza according to the WHO. This is particularly true in developing countries, where children may struggle more due to the difficulty in obtaining enough vitamin D (diet and supplementation) and lack of access to higher quality healthcare.
Nutraceutical for Respiratory Health
Numerous studies have shown that nutraceutical products, such as vitamin D supplements, may be able to play a key role in improving your respiratory health. Furthermore, vitamin D supplements are likely one of the most superior nutraceutical products, mainly because the health benefits of vitamin D have been more rigorously researched. Below are some of the nutraceutical products that we covered that may be able to improve your respiratory health.
Omega 3, a popular nutraceutical product, has numerous health benefits, and it may also be able to improve your respiratory health. Researchers at the University of Rochester noted that omega 3 was successful in blocking a type of bacteria called NTHi, which is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a rather new finding, as many nutraceutical consumers choose to buy omega 3 supplements because these supplements improve brain health.
Green tea is another very useful nutraceutical product because it contains EGCG, which can help the body regulate inflammatory responses. Animal studies have shown that EGCG can help to restore lung health following a lung injury. The antioxidants present in green tea can also help to offset some of the symptoms of inflammation that occur due to asthma. Certain studies have also shown that green tea may be able to reduce the risk of lung cancer, although this is not conclusive.
Echinacea is also another very popular nutraceutical product that may be able to improve your respiratory health. Echinacea has been shown to have various types of immune-boosting properties, which can help the body combat various types of illnesses and infections.
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