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Wednesday 28 October 2020
A good supply of vitamins strengthens the immune system, this has long been known. British researchers have now taken another look at the specific effect for respiratory diseases in order to draw conclusions about the corona virus. Three candidates are convincing and one fails.
Keep your distance, wash your hands, wear a mask – many people would like to do more to protect themselves from a corona infection or to fight an infection with a strengthened immune system. Vitamins, which are considered useful for other infections, are brought into focus.
Suzana Almoosawi of Imperial College London and Luigi Palla of the Global Center for Nutrition and Health in Cambridge examined whether vitamins help with respiratory infections and ailments. They focused on vitamins A, C, E and D. These are considered particularly important in connection with a possible Covid 19 disease. Vitamin A is said to strengthen mucous membranes and thus make it difficult for SARS-CoV-2 to penetrate. Vitamin C is an important supporter of white blood cells and could therefore help fight infections. Vitamin E is said to neutralize radicals and stimulate the production of immune messenger substances. For vitamin D, previous studies had shown that it can reduce the risk of cold infection.
For their study, the British researchers evaluated data from 6115 participants in a large nutrition study from 2008 to 2016. Everything the observed people consumed in terms of food, drink or dietary supplements was recorded. In addition, it was recorded whether study participants had throat, lung or bronchial infections, shortness of breath or asthma.
Cold vitamin fails
Participants who were well supplied with vitamins D, E, and A were found to suffer from respiratory problems significantly less often. Those who met or exceeded the recommended daily requirement with food or supplements were considered well supplied with vitamins. “Taking these vitamins has been linked to a lower incidence of respiratory problems,” Almoosawi and Palla report. Thirty-three participants who developed these diseases consumed fewer vitamins with their food and no dietary supplements.
The result was maintained even after considering other factors such as age, gender, body mass index, income and smoking. Scientists have failed to find any connection between vitamin C intake and the risk of respiratory disease. This confirms the results of previous studies in which it has already been shown that the alleged cold vitamin does not work against respiratory infections.
Almoosawi and Palla are confirmed in the hypothesis that an adequate supply of vitamins A, E and D are important for the respiratory system and for the immune defenses. “Although the mechanisms by which our nutritional status affects the immune system are complex, it helps maintain the immune system,” they explain.
Studies have shown that vitamin E strengthens T-cell based immune functions. Vitamin D promotes phagocyte activity and dampens the release of inflammatory messenger substances. According to the Robert Koch Institute, around 15% of adults in Germany have a vitamin D deficiency, while 40% are slightly insufficient. That’s why scientists recommend a balanced diet and a good supply of vitamins. At the same time, however, they advise against the uncontrolled consumption of dietary supplements, as overdose can also have harmful side effects.
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