Vitamin D may help treat lethal drug-resistant tuberculosis: Study

Vitamin D supplements may speed up the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) bacteria, a recent British study found. The study was led by the Queen Mary University of London and was published in the European Respiratory Journal.

In the study, the research team pooled data from 1,850 TB patients who took part in clinical trials of vitamin D in eight countries. When added to antibiotic treatment, vitamin D was found to accelerate TB clearance.

Speaking about the study, lead researcher Professor Adrian Martineau said, "Our study raises the possibility that vitamin D, which is very safe and inexpensive, could benefit this hard-to-treat group of patients by taking a novel approach to their treatment."

Vitamin D deficiency can be treated by eating certain foods such as fatty fish such as salmon, sardine, tuna, fish oil, cow liver and eggs, or taking supplements available in pharmacies.

The body uses vitamin D to maintain bone health and absorb calcium effectively, and its deficiency may increase the risk of injury to people with osteoporosis and bone malformations, cancer and inflammation, and weaken the immune system of the body.