In the absence of vitamin A, the body loses immune cells that put the brakes on the earliest stages of infection
Friday, April 1, 2011 - 11:32
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have recognized the immune-boosting capabilities of vitamin A for the better part of a century, even without fully understanding how it helps the body fight off bacteria and viruses. "Soon after its discovery, vitamin A was termed the anti-infective vitamin and was widely used to enhance recovery; but with the introduction of antibiotics, the therapeutic use of vitamin A diminished," says Sidonia Fagarasan of the RIKEN Center for Allergy and Immunology in Yokohama, Japan.