Vitamin D pills for better healing in burns

Improved healing of burns with vitamin D.

Although the treatment of burns has improved significantly in the last decade, many patients still risk having their burns healed poorly. A study by British researchers has now shown that vitamin D can improve the healing of burn injuries.

Vitamin D is not only important for bones and muscles

According to a study published in the summer, the vitamin D supply in Germany is deficient. And although it is known that a lack of the important for the bones and muscles vitamin can have serious consequences for the human body. According to scientists, vitamin D supplements could even help prevent countless dangerous infections and deaths. British researchers now report that the important vitamin can also help to better cure burns.

A recent study by British scientists showed that supplementing with vitamin D can be a simple and inexpensive treatment to improve the healing of burns. (Image: bit24 / fotolia.com)

Improving the healing of burns

For mild burns, home remedies such as aloe vera or cooling ointments can often help. With heavier burn injuries one comes however not far with it.

Here, the use of vitamin D may be useful. Because: "Patients with severe burns, who have a higher vitamin D level, recover more successfully than patients with lower levels," reports the magazine "Eurek Alert!".

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found this out. Their study suggests that supplementing with vitamin D may be a simple and cost-effective treatment for improving the healing of burns.

Dangerous consequences of burns

Patients with severe burns have a high risk of infection, which can lead to life-threatening sepsis (blood poisoning).

According to the report, it is known that vitamin D has antibacterial effects that can fight infection and thus support wound healing in burn patients.

To investigate the role of vitamin D in the recovery from burn injuries, Professor Janet Lord and Drs. Khaled Al-Tarrah from the University of Birmingham reported recovery in patients with severe burns over a year.

The wound healing of the subjects was thereby related to the vitamin D content in their blood.

Lower vitamin D levels in burn victims

The researchers found that patients with higher vitamin D levels had a better prognosis, with improved wound healing, fewer complications and less scarring.

The data also showed that patients with burns tend to have lower vitamin D levels.

The results suggest that supplementation with vitamin D immediately after a burn injury can bring health benefits to the patient, including enhanced antimicrobial activity to prevent infections and improve wound healing.

Simple and inexpensive measure for better wound healing

"Having a serious burn injury significantly reduces vitamin D levels, and taking this vitamin can be a simpler, safer, and less costly way to improve treatment outcomes for patients with burns," said Prof Lord.

The efficacy of a vitamin D supplement to improve burn outcomes would need to be reviewed in clinical trials.

The researchers from Birmingham are now focusing on finding out why patients experience rapid vitamin D loss immediately after a burn injury and hope they can prevent it in the future. (Ad)