Research Highlights
Is quarterly bolus vitamin D3 supplementation adequate to prevent childhood pneumonia?
Abstract
Already in 1922, based on the observation of 64
malnourished Viennese infants, Chick and colleagues
postulated a factor present in both cod-liver oil and sunlight
that is able to cure rickets (1). This factor later turned out
to be vitamin D. Today, it is evident that the actions of the
active vitamin D metabolite, i.e. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
(calcitriol), go far beyond bone health, including diverse
actions on the immune system as recently reviewed (2).
malnourished Viennese infants, Chick and colleagues
postulated a factor present in both cod-liver oil and sunlight
that is able to cure rickets (1). This factor later turned out
to be vitamin D. Today, it is evident that the actions of the
active vitamin D metabolite, i.e. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
(calcitriol), go far beyond bone health, including diverse
actions on the immune system as recently reviewed (2).
