Sunshine Beats Pneumonia

Researchers at Waikato University have found that sunshine can help save the lives of pneumonia patients. Medical scientists at the University have found that vitamin D, which is absorbed through the skin and produced with exposure to sunlight, is a major factor in the survival rate of pneumonia patients. The University collaborated with doctors at Waikato Hospital to study blood samples of 112 patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia during the winter. Dr Bob Hancox, of the hospital’s department of respiratory medicine said: “There is accumulating evidence that we need vitamin D to help fight infections, such as pneumonia as we have shown, as well as improve bone health.” The research findings are published in the journal, Respirology.