Vitamin D for Tuberculosis

I'm going to keep this one as short as possible. I'm away all weekend to Toronto for the CHFA show (Canada's largest healthfood food), so I've scheduled this post ahead of time (as I do with most of my posts).

Prior to our understanding of vitamin D's roll in the immune system, exposure to sunshine was used for centuries to treat tuberculosis (TB). At that time, no one knew why, but sun exposure seemed to help the patients.

Now this new study investigated the mechanisms on how vitamin D can help treat patients infected with the bacteria that causes TB.

Control of TB worldwide depends on our understanding of human immune mechanisms, which combat the infection. This study's results suggest a mechanism in which vitamin D is required for acquired immunity to overcome the ability of intracellular pathogens to evade our defenses and cause infections. The present findings underscore the importance of adequate amounts of vitamin D--whether through "smart" sun exposure or supplements--in all human populations for sustaining both innate and acquired immunity against infection.

Well, that's it for this week. Enjoy your weekend!

Source: Vitamin D Is Required for IFN-γ–Mediated Antimicrobial Activity of Human Macrophages

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