A study from the University of Auckland has shown that Vitamin D may play a role in keeping lungs healthy.
The study, by associate professors Peter Black and Robert Scragg from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, showed that people with very low levels of Vitamin D in their bodies had less healthy lungs than those with higher levels of the vitamin.
Dr Black, from the Department of Medicine said there was a substantial difference in how well the lungs worked between those with the highest and lowest levels of Vitamin D.
Research showed Vitamin D may also influence how well our lungs work, with greater levels of the vitamin contributing to healthier lungs but further research was needed to determine just what its role was, and whether increases in Vitamin D would actually benefit patients with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and emphysema, he said.