Pneumonia and Walking Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a potentially serious condition that can occur when a lung infection causes the small sacs in the lung tissue, called alveoli, to fill with fluid.

When this happens, the fluid blocks the lungs from being able to exchange air, and it can become hard to breath. "Walking Pneumonia" refers to a milder case of pneumonia in which the person still is able to perform daily tasks, like go to work or school, but is still expressing symptoms of a lung infection.

At ImmuneStrong Families we hope everyone will start seeing Vitamin D as the crucial immune system support vitamin that it is. This includes reviewing some of the data about Vitamin D and pneumonia. It has been well established that Vitamin D plays an irreplaceable role in preventing and fighting off respiratory tract infections. Pneumonia is both an example of respiratory tract infection and a result of a respiratory tract infection.

LISTEN | Pneumonia and Vitamin DImmuneStrong Families

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There is a lot of research about Vitamin D and pneumonia, let's look at just three examples. As you review these, keep in mind that the optimal Vitamin D level is between 40 to 60 ng/ml.

1. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2017 looked at over 11,000 participants and considered whether or not they took Vitamin D supplements. They found that for participants who had a dangerously low Vitamin D level of 10 ng/ml or lower to start with, if they took a Vitamin D supplement, it lowered their risk of developing pneumonia by 70%!

2. In a survey in 2013 of 17,000 adults, it was found that adults with a Vitamin D level below 30 ng/ml were 56% more likely to develop pneumonia.

3. The last example we'll look at in this article was a study published in 2010 looking at nearly 200 adults in the winter months most associated with colds and flu. They found that participants with a Vitamin D level of 38 ng/ml or better had half the risk of infection and if they did get sick, they recovered faster than those with lower Vitamin D levels.

As you can see, there is some compelling evidence that Vitamin D levels matter when you are trying to prevent and fight off respiratory tract infections like pneumonia, colds and flu.

Do you know your Vitamin D level? Check out our Vitamin D Challenge here.

Interested in learning more about Vitamin D's role in immune system health? Check out our ImmuneStrong Families FREE Mini-Masterclass.