Taking Vitamin D supplements can speed up the process of healing burns and reducing scarring, shows a new study conducted by the Institute of Inflammation and Aging, in Birmingham University.
The chief source of Vitamin D is sunlight, but it has been proven previously that it soothes inflammation, redness and swelling caused by sunburn. Now, the new research has discovered its uses in dealing with other kinds of burns.
Researchers conducted the study for a year on 38 patients suffering from serious burns. Their levels of Vitamin D were recorded and analysed consistently. The findings prove that people with higher Vitamin D levels exhibited better healing powers, had fewer complications and suffered less scarring.
The research, presented at the Society for Endocrinology's annual conference in Harrogate, was the first to explore the possibilities of Vitamin D to heal burns. It suggests that giving this vitamin's supplements to burn victims can prove a cost-effective way to boost their healing process.
Professor Janet Lord, one of the researchers from Birmingham University, stated, "Low Vitamin D levels were associated with worse outcomes in burn patients including life-threatening infections, mortality and delayed wound healing. She added that it is also related to worse scarring.
Burn victims sustain a high risk of being infected and suffering from sepsis, which may turn fatal. Vitamin D is also proven to combat such infections and provide immunity to the body from them.
The severity of the birth does not affect the amount of Vitamin D reduction that the body shows, giving rise to the possibility that supplements can be useful for minor burns as well.
Apart from healing burns, Vitamin D also boosts the immune system, protects against heart diseases, asthma and the flu. It may also be useful in fighting depression and cancer.
