Vitamin D useful in fighting a cold

The latest study adds to mounting evidence that the vitamin from sunshine boosts the immune system and helps prevent some cancers and heart disease.

Vitamin D comes mostly from strong sunshine, pills, or milk and some fish. Most Canadians have very low levels of the vitamin.

The new study, published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine, shows that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood are the most likely to catch colds.

Asthma patients with the lowest vitamin D levels were five times more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection, while COPD patients had twice as many respiratory infections when they had a vitamin D deficiency.