In a new study from the University of Eastern Finland, researchers highlight the benefits of a good vitamin D status in fighting infections.
The researchers exposed human blood immune cells to molecules from infectious bacterial and fungal pathogens. In addition, the cells were treated with vitamin D before, after, or in parallel with the pathogenic stimuli.
Vitamin D was shown to modulate the cellular transcriptomic responses to immune challenges in all experiments.
This suggests that when it comes to fighting infections, it is clearly better to take vitamin D supplementation in a preventive manner, rather than starting to take it when already infected.
Vitamin D has an important role in supporting the immune system, and its deficiency has been associated with increased complications of infectious diseases.
The team was interested in finding out whether it is critical to have a sufficient vitamin D status before, during, or after experiencing an infection.
The study provides a view on how vitamin D modulates responses of the innate immune system to immune challenges like bacterial and fungal infections.
The authors point out that vitamin D3 supplementation will improve the vitamin D status of an individual, leading to more effective signaling of the transcription factor vitamin D receptor via its target genes.
Since a large number of these responsive genes are involved in improving the functionality of immunity, their vitamin D-triggered activity can be regarded as training of the innate immune system to fight infections.
This suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation may have an important role in preventing infectious diseases or reducing their severe consequences.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about vitamin K that may lower your heart disease risk by a third, and low vitamin D that may speed up cognitive decline.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies about new drug combo that could effectively treat COVID-19 infection, and results showing this exercise can reduce frailty in older people.
The study is published in Frontiers in Immunology. One author of the study is Professor Carsten Carlberg.
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