Overview
- An analysis of 36,258 UK Biobank participants found that people with vitamin D levels below 15 nmol/L had a 33% higher rate of hospital admission for respiratory tract infections than those at or above 75 nmol/L.
- Each 10 nmol/L increase in circulating vitamin D was associated with an approximate 4% reduction in hospitalizations for infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
- The University of Surrey led the observational study with collaborators at Oxford and Reading, and the results were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- The authors point to older adults and ethnic minority communities as priority groups for raising vitamin D levels through supplements or fortified foods.
- Researchers emphasize that the findings show association rather than causation and call for interventional studies, while NHS advice continues to recommend a daily supplement during autumn and winter.