Can Vitamin D Help With Colds?

Vitamin D is most known for its role in supporting bone health. But it’s also been hailed as the vitamin that can help prevent a range of illnesses, including the common cold.  

It’s true that vitamin D supports the immune system. But the research is mixed on whether taking a vitamin D supplement prevents colds or reduces your symptoms if you catch one.

Here, we’ll look at who may benefit from a vitamin D supplement and how much it helps.

Does vitamin D help prevent colds?

Vitamin D doesn’t directly lower your chances of catching a cold. But having high-enough levels of vitamin D is important to keeping your immune system healthy. 

If your vitamin D level is low, it may make you more susceptible to getting colds and other respiratory infections like the flu. Research shows that when people with low vitamin D take vitamin D supplements, they get fewer colds.  

But research is mixed on whether taking a vitamin D supplement helps you avoid getting sick when your vitamin D levels are normal. Some reviews of the research show that taking vitamin D when you already have normal levels may reduce the number of colds you get, but only slightly. And other studies, including several in children and one in older adults, found that vitamin D supplements didn’t help prevent colds at all. 

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To sum it up, if you have low levels of vitamin D, taking vitamin D can help boost your immune system. And this can keep you from getting sick. 

And if you’re already taking vitamin D, keeping up with your supplement will help you maintain a healthy immune system. 

But, if you already have normal levels of vitamin D and don’t take a supplement, there’s no reason to start taking it. Extra vitamin D won’t help you avoid a cold. 

Should you take more vitamin D when sick?

If you already have a cold, taking vitamin D probably won’t shorten the cold or make your symptoms milder. Vitamin D works best at keeping your overall immune system strong. This may help you fight off colds in the first place so that you get them less often.

If you usually take vitamin D every day, it’s OK to keep taking it when you have a cold.

How much vitamin D should you take?

There are no guidelines around how much vitamin D is needed specifically to keep your immune system strong. But you may be able to use the research as a guide. In the studies that found that taking a supplement prevented colds, the amount of vitamin D people took ranged from 400 IUs to 2,000 IUs. 

So it’s best to stick with recommended daily intake of vitamin D for overall health:

• 600 IUs for adults 19 to 70 years old

• 800 IUs for adults 71 years and older

If you’re worried that your levels are low, you can ask your primary care provider to order a blood test to check your levels. Your level should be at 50 nmol/L or above to support your bones and overall health. 

Studies looking specifically at cold prevention show that people with vitamin D levels below 25 nmol/L or 30 nmol/L have a higher risk of infections.  

How do you get vitamin D?

You can get vitamin D from several different sources:

Sun exposure

You get most of your vitamin D from the sun. Your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. For many people, about 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure most days of the week may help you make enough vitamin D. 

Though it’s important not to spend too much time in the sun. That can increase your risk of skin cancer. It’s a good idea to put on sunscreen before going outside. 

Foods with vitamin D

You can get vitamin D from your diet, but it’s not always easy to get enough.Vitamin D occurs naturally in only a few foods. Fatty fish (like salmon and trout) contain the highest levels of vitamin D. Other foods with small amounts of the vitamin include:

• Beef liver

• Egg yolks

• Some cheese

• Some mushrooms

Most people in the U.S. get most of their dietary vitamin D from fortified foods. These include:

• Milk 

• Plant-based milks like soy milk or almond milk

• Breakfast cereals

• Some brands of orange juice

• Some yogurts

Supplements

There are different types of supplements that contain vitamin D. These include:   

• Multivitamins

• Some calcium supplements with vitamin D

• Vitamin D supplements 

What other vitamin supplements help get rid of colds?

There are a few vitamins, minerals, and other supplements that have been shown to help shorten colds and make the symptoms less severe in some situations. These include:

• Vitamin C: You can take vitamin C daily or take a boost when you get a cold.

• Zinc: Take zinc as soon as you notice cold symptoms to reduce symptoms.

• Probiotics: You need to take probiotics daily, not just when you get a cold.

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Written by:

Aliyah Baruchin, MS

I’m a health journalist, writer, and editor with over two decades of experience reporting for national publications including The New York Times, Scientific American, and Neurology Today. I have worked across organizations and formats, as part of print and digital teams, writing and editing for newsrooms, nonprofits, hospitals, and universities.

Edited by:

Laurie Tarkan

Laurie Tarkan is a senior health editor for general health and well-being at GoodRx. She has an extensive background in health journalism, and wrote regularly for The New York Times for a decade.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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