Why vitamin D matters for your lungs

Vitamin D is not only about bones. It also plays a role in how our immune system and lungs respond to threats like viruses and bacteria. In fact, deficiency in vitamin D shows up often among people with chronic or repeated respiratory problems.

A major combined analysis of many clinical trials (over 11,000 participants) looked at whether giving vitamin D could prevent acute respiratory infections (ARI): things like common colds, flu, or other lung infections. The result was encouraging: people who got regular vitamin D (daily or weekly dose, not large sporadic doses) had about 12 percent lower odds of getting ARI than those who got placebo.

Protecting The Lungs

Researchers believe vitamin D helps because it supports the immune system in a way that protects the airways. It seems to help keep inflammatory and immune responses balanced, which may reduce excess inflammation in the lungs while still helping fight pathogens. In people with chronic lung diseases, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), low vitamin D often matches with more severe disease courses.

Meanwhile, newer research that reviewed best ways to supplement vitamin D concluded that regular lower doses (daily or weekly) are more effective for infection prevention than intermittent high “bolus” doses.

So vitamin D helps respiratory health likely by: supporting lung immune defenses, lowering harmful inflammation, and improving resistance to infections.

What a study adds for vitamin D use

A 2024 article from Springer reviewed many of the supplement trials and tried to identify what works best. Their take was that consistent dosing matters. People who receive vitamin D every day or every week tend to get more protection than those who get a large dose every month or less often.

The reason could be that steady vitamin D keeps the blood level more stable. That stability may matter to immune cells in the lung that depend on vitamin D to activate defense mechanisms and regulate inflammation.

So if someone considers vitamin D for lung health or immune support, regular modest dosing may be a smarter approach than occasional large doses.

Can people on plant-based diets get enough vitamin D?

One challenge is that many good natural sources of vitamin D are animal-based (fish, eggs, dairy, etc.). That makes it harder for people on vegetarian or vegan diets to get enough.

But there are plant-based options. The main natural plant-derived sources are certain fungi, especially mushrooms. When mushrooms get light exposure (ideally ultraviolet (UV) light) they can produce vitamin D2. Some wild mushrooms, or commercially grown mushrooms that are UV-treated, can carry significant amounts of vitamin D2.

Also there is a source of vegan vitamin D3: certain lichen (a symbiotic organism made of algae and fungus) can make a form of D3 that does not come from animals.

So for people eating a fully plant-based diet, good options for vitamin D intake are UV-exposed mushrooms and lichen-derived vitamin D3 supplements.

Because plant-based diets sometimes are low in vitamin D compared to omnivore diets, attention is needed to ensure adequate intake.

What to keep in mind

Vitamin D is helpful but not magic. The benefit for respiratory health seems more clear when vitamin D is maintained at sufficient but stable levels. Irregular high-dose supplementation may not give the same protection. Too little vitamin D (common in people with limited sun exposure or strict plant-based diets) may be linked to worse lung function or more frequent infections.

For people on plant-based diets, natural vitamin D sources are few. Mushrooms (if UV-exposed) and lichen-derived vitamin D3 supplements are the realistic choices.

If you consider vitamin D for lung health, combining a balanced diet (or supplementation), sensible sun exposure, and avoidance of deficiency seems to make the most sense.

Sources:

Brandon Luu, MD discusses on the benefits of Vitamin D as a barrier against respiratory illnesses:

https://x.com/BrandonLuuMD/status/1995109582658560239

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