According to a new study by researchers at London’s Queen Mary University, vitamin D may help us to battle such common winter ailments as colds and the influenza.

Of course, those diseases most often show up in the winter months when our vitamin D levels are traditionally the lowest because of less contact with the sun that naturally transforms our cholesterol into vitamin D. The study also revealed that taking vitamin D regularly is the most effective way of bolstering a person’s immune system.

Study Finds reports:

Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London found that vitamin D has health benefits beyond its effect on muscle and bone, what it is most known for, and could lead the way for new public health policies, such as infusing food with the vitamin.

“The bottom line is that the protective effects of vitamin D supplementation are strongest in those who have the lowest vitamin D levels, and when supplementation is given daily or weekly rather than in more widely spaced doses,” says professor Adrian Martineau from QMUL, a lead researcher in the study, in a university release.

“By demonstrating this new benefit of vitamin D, our study strengthens the case for introducing food fortification to improve vitamin D levels in countries such as the UK where profound vitamin D deficiency is common,” he continues.

READ: Feeling sick? Vitamin D helps prevent colds, flu, respiratory infections

There have been several studies reporting on the health benefits of vitamin D, including many suggesting it is effective in combatting the coronavirus that also impacts a person’s respiratory system:

READ: Another reason to take vitamin D: People on a daily dose are 17% less likely to develop late-stage cancer and face lower odds of death, study finds

READ: Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu

READ: Another study finds having a vitamin D deficiency could make you more likely to catch Covid-19

READ: COVID-19 patients who get enough vitamin D are 52% less likely to die of the infection, study finds

READ: Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths

READ: People with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to catch coronavirus and die from COVID-19 infection, study suggests

READ: Vitamin D levels may impact COVID-19 mortality rates, study claims

READ: The Possible Role of Vitamin D in Suppressing Cytokine Storm and Associated Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

READ: Israeli Study Finds Low Vitamin D Level Linked to Increased COVID-19 Risk

READ: Vitamin D supplements ‘could keep Covid-19 patients out of intensive care’ as study finds hospital patients given 100micrograms per week had ‘significantly reduced’ need for life support