Skip to main content
Home

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
  • Cymraeg
My country:

Main Menu

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Accommodation
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • University Management and Governance
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

    • Study Options
      • Study Home
      • Why Study at Bangor?
      • Undergraduate Study
      • Postgraduate Taught Study
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Part-time Courses
      • January Start Courses
      • Degree Apprenticeships
      • Study Abroad
      • Work Experience
    • Study Advice
      • Apply
      • Already Applied?
      • Fees and Finances
      • Scholarships and Bursaries
      • Get Ready for University
    • Explore Bangor
      • Virtual Open Days and Visits
      • Virtual Student Experience

    Find a Course

    Order a Prospectus

    • Student Life
      • Student Life Home
      • Bangor and the Area
      • Social Life and Entertainment
      • Accommodation
      • Clubs and Societies
      • Sport
      • Virtual Student Experience
    • Your Experience at Bangor
      • Student Support
      • Skills and Employability
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Fees and Finances

    Student Profiles

    Student Videos and Vlogs

    • Choose Bangor
      • International Home
      • Why Bangor?
      • Location
      • Student Support
      • Contact Us
    • Apply
      • Entry Requirements
      • Tuition Fees and Scholarships
      • How to Apply
      • Already Applied
      • Study Abroad
      • Exchanges

    Country Specific Information

    Join us on a Virtual Open Day

    Bangor University International College

    Covid-19 Information

    • Research
      • Research Home
      • About Our Research
      • Research in our Academic Schools
      • Research Institutes and Centres
      • Research Portal
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Energy
      • Research News
    • Postgraduate Research Opportunities
      • Postgraduate Research
      • Doctoral School
    • Events and Training Opportunities
      • Researcher Development
    • The University
      • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Strategy 2030
      • Annual Review
      • Our Location
      • Academic Schools and Colleges
      • Services and Facilities
      • University Management and Governance
      • Vice Chancellor’s Office
      • Working with Business
      • Working with the Community
      • Sustainability
      • Contact Us
    • Working for Us
      • Job Vacancies
    • University Management and Governance
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
    • University and the Community
      • Pontio
      • Sports Facilities
      • Conference Facilities
      • Places to Eat and Drink
      • Public Events
      • Widening Access
      • Services to Schools
    • Business Services
      • Business Services Home
    • Collaboration Hub
      • Collaboration Hub
      • Funding for Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) & Innovation
      • Business Facilities and Networks
      • Consultancy, Specialist Expertise and Knowledge
      • Commercialisation and Intellectual Property (IP)
      • Student Placements and Internships in Business & Enterprise
      • Training and Continuing Professional Development
      • Degree Apprenticeships
    • Conferencing and Business Dining
      • Conferencing Facilities
      • Business Dining
    • Contacts
      • Research, Innovation and Impact Office (RIIO)
      • Get In Touch
    • News
      • Current News
      • Research News
      • Student News
    • Events
      • Events

Information for:

  • Alumni
  • Applicants
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • Parents
  • Job Vacancies
  • Covid-19
My country:

Search

Close

Breadcrumb

Share this page:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Cymraeg

Share this page:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Vitamin D supplements may reduce the duration of the common cold

After a couple of years of mask-wearing, social distancing and hand sanitising, the common cold is back. And – according to some people – back with a vengeance. Some are calling it a “super cold” – others, “the worst cold ever”. Fortunately, there may be a way to reduce the duration of a cold: vitamin D supplements.

We may suffer more common colds during the winter because we spend more time close to each other indoors. But vitamin D levels might also influence the risk of getting a cold. There are more colds during winter when vitamin D levels are lowest, and fewer colds during summer when vitamin D levels are highest.

We get most of our vitamin D from the sun’s rays (80%–100%) and only a small amount from our diet. For people living at latitudes above 30 degrees, such as in the UK, there is a higher risk of having low vitamin D levels (vitamin D insufficiency) in the winter. People who spend most of their time indoors, or with their skin covered, are also at a higher risk of vitamin D insufficiency. More than half of the UK population is considered to have insufficient vitamin D levels in winter.

In the UK, the sun’s rays are too weak to provide enough vitamin D between October and March. This means that from October until March, people’s vitamin D levels are likely to fall.

Lowering your risk of colds

Research shows that vitamin D influences the risk of catching common colds and other respiratory infections. People with lower vitamin D levels are more likely to have a common cold, and people supplemented with vitamin D are less likely to get a common cold.

As well as reducing the chance of getting a common cold, our recent research shows that vitamin D supplementation reduces the severity and duration of common colds.

First, we found that vitamin D-sufficient military recruits were less likely to have a common cold than vitamin D-insufficient recruits during 12 weeks of basic military training. Then we examined the effect of vitamin D supplementation during winter on common colds. We supplemented recruits with either simulated sunlight (UV radiation by a whole-body irradiation cabinet) or oral vitamin D₃ tablets (1,000 IU per day for four weeks to restore vitamin D to normal levels and then 400 IU per day for eight weeks to maintain healthy vitamin D levels). Both supplements similarly achieved vitamin D sufficiency in almost all recruits.

We found that vitamin D supplementation did not reduce the likelihood of getting a common cold, but it did reduce the number of days a participant had a common cold by 36%. It also reduced the peak severity of common cold symptoms by 15%.

How to get your vitamin D topped up

Man in shorts and T shirt walks on beach, carrying shoes
Try and spend 15 minutes a day in the sun during spring and summer to top up your vitamin D.

Our findings support the UK government’s recommendation to maintain vitamin D sufficiency all year round, and they show a potentially beneficial role of wintertime vitamin D supplementation.

It is not possible to get enough sunlight in the UK between October and March, so it’s advisable to take a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement daily during this period (this value is sometimes shown as 400 IU on the label). If you can’t get any sunlight at all, or you have not supplemented with vitamin D from October onwards, you may need to take 25 micrograms (1,000 IU) of vitamin D for four weeks to restore your vitamin D to a healthy level.

To ensure that you get enough vitamin D during the summer, make sure you get short periods of regular sunlight exposure. Safe sunlight exposure for people living at latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees north involves being in the sun for 15 minutes between 10am and 3pm while wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

 

 

Publication date: 20 December 2021

Home

About Us

Academic Schools and Colleges

  • Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences
    • Home
    • About the School
      • Our Postgraduate Researchers
      • Bangor & the Area
      • Athena SWAN
      • SHES Health & Safety Information
      • Travel Directions
      • Contact Us
    • Our Staff
    • Undergraduates
      • What is Sports Science?
      • Courses
      • Modules
      • Why Study With Us?
      • Supporting Your Studies
      • Fees & Finances
      • Scholarships & Funding
      • Study or Work Abroad
      • Peer Guides
      • Order a prospectus
      • Open Days
      • Virtual Open Day
    • Postgraduates
      • MSc
      • MRes
      • PhD & MPhil
      • Why Study with Us?
      • Order a prospectus
      • Modules
      • Scholarships & Funding
      • Student profiles
      • Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Research Training
    • Bilingual Education
      • Introduction to Bilingual Education in SHES
      • Bilingual Modules
      • Staff and Postgraduate Students
      • Funding for studies
      • Resources
    • International - Students and Staff
      • International Students
      • International Exchanges for Students
      • International Exchanges for Staff
      • International Student Ambassadors
      • Study or Work Abroad
    • Watch our videos
      • Our School videos
      • Student Video Profiles
      • Student Profiles
      • Staff Videos
      • News, Research and Blogs
      • Bangor University Videos
    • Student Life
    • Facilities
      • Virtual Tours of our Labs
      • Virtual Tours of Canolfan Brailsford
    • Your Future Career
    • Research, Impact and Consultancy
      • Research Excellence
      • Research Ethics
      • Institute for Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP)
      • Institute for Applied Human Physiology
    • News
      • Research News
    • Open Days
    • Order a Prospectus
    • Links
    • Connect on social media
    • Contact Us
Home

Follow Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

Bangor University

Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, UK

+44 (0)1248 351151

Contact Us

Visit Us

Maps & Directions

Policy

  • Legal Compliance
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015 Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy and Cookies
Map

Bangor University is a Registered Charity: No. 1141565

© 2020 Bangor University