Vitamin D helps TB patients recover faster

Vitamin D enhances the body's ability to fight TB, according to BBC news published on September 4.

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A study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) said that TB patients recover faster when taking antibiotics with vitamin D.

About 95 TB patients in many hospitals across London (England) participated in this study.

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The results showed that the number of patients taking vitamin D had a recovery rate nearly 2 weeks faster than the usual treatment.

If antibiotics are used, TB patients need about 36 days to cure the disease, while patients taking both antibiotics and vitamin D take only 23 days.

'This is not an alternative treatment for antibiotics, but it is an effective complementary weapon in the fight against tuberculosis. This method is very promising; however, more evidence is needed , 'Dr Adrian Martineau of Queen Mary University in London told the BBC.

Currently, doctors in the UK are conducting more experiments to determine the most appropriate dose and type of vitamin D, before disseminating to the public.

Vitamin D has been shown to be effective in reducing fever due to infection in TB patients, according to British doctors.

Medical experts evaluate the finding that this new treatment is worthwhile as more and more patients develop drug-resistant TB.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said, 3.4% of cases of tuberculosis-resistant TB, also known as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.