Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient in a family of compounds that consists of vitamins D1, D2, and D3. When your skin is physically exposed to sunlight, your body naturally creates vitamin D.
It can also be obtained from certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels in your system. Vitamin D serves a variety of purposes. It has been shown to positively impact the immune system and support systemic health. So, vitamin D helps in the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
All white blood cells have vitamin D receptors and activating enzymes on their surfaces. It plays a very important role in keeping the immune system healthy since the immune system needs to be balanced. Autoimmune disorders can develop if there is too much stimulation.
Also, infections might be frequent if the immune system is not active enough. So, keep reading this blog where I will tell you what are the benefits of vitamin d on our immune system and how it boosts the immune system.
Benefits Of Vitamin D For Immune System
Vitamin D has several immune system benefits. It can support the immune system by fighting against harmful viruses and bacteria. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea that vitamin D might help your immune system fight infections is certainly a big topic. While the NIH’s COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines mention vitamin D’s ability to affect the immune system, they also state that there isn’t enough research to indicate whether it works as a COVID-19 preventative or treatment.
For years, experts have discussed the benefits of vitamin D in fighting colds and flu. Research has also shown that adequate vitamin D levels are associated with a lower risk and severity of respiratory infections, whereas vitamin D deficiencies are associated with a greater risk and severity. Vitamin D supplements may be able to prevent these illnesses, according to some research.
According to some studies, vitamin D supplementation, whether daily or weekly, has been shown to lessen the incidence of acute respiratory infections in people who are deficient in it. Supplements were more helpful to the more deficient people.
Autoimmune diseases have been found to be associated with vitamin D deficiency. According to a study, low vitamin D levels have been linked to inflammatory illnesses like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
How Vitamin D Boosts The Immune System?
Vitamin D regulates both the innate and adaptive immune responses in the body and is involved in immunity through numerous pathways. Vitamin D interacts with vitamin D receptors on innate immune cells all over the body, affecting immunity. Innate immunity is the body’s non-specific first line of defence against foreign pathogens.
Vitamin D strengthens the immune system and helps in the fight against infection by modulating the activity of immune cells that trigger antiviral responses. In immune cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells, vitamin D binds to receptors. Vitamin D promotes these cells to create antiviral peptides that protect the body from external diseases.
Cathelicidins and defensins are peptides that serve as antiviral agents and have antimicrobial and immune modulating properties. They are part of the innate immune system. Vitamin D metabolites have been demonstrated in multiple studies to help in the formation of the human form of cathelicidins and defensins, hence increasing the innate immune response. According to studies, Vitamin D has been proven to play a role in both activating these cells to assist the body in fighting infections and inhibiting immune responses in cases of over-inflammation.
Vitamin D suppresses inflammation linked with both the innate and adaptive immune responses, acting as an immune system modulator. The immune system releases small proteins called cytokines in response to invading viruses, which stimulate an immune response to help fight the virus. This response to infection can sometimes go into overdrive, releasing an excessive amount of cytokines. A cytokine storm can occur, resulting in hyperinflammation. This inflammation can cause lung injury, pulmonary infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulant, and mortality.