Vitamin D and malaria – many studies

Does malaria have any association with vitamin D - Perplexity AI Deep Research May 2025

In a 2014 study of Ugandan children, researchers found that 95% of children with severe malaria and 80% of control children were vitamin D-insufficient (plasma 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL).

Mean plasma vitamin D levels were significantly lower in children with severe malaria than in community children (21.2 vs. 25.3 ng/mL, p = 0.03).

These findings led researchers to conclude that

for every 1 ng/mL increase in plasma vitamin D, the odds of having severe malaria declined by 9%

[OR = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84, 1.0)]

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Unraveling Role of Vitamin D in Cerebral Malaria - 2025 book chapter

Book: The Power of Vitamin D: An Update on its Role in Health and Disease , pp 42-86

Awakash Soni1, Inderjeet Kalia2

Vitamin D is classically known as a regulator of the mineral metabolism in bones particularly calcium and phosphorous; however recent research developments continue to uncover its unconventional roles. Vitamin D has a pleiotropic effect on various regulatory mechanisms that control host defense, inflammation, immunity, DNA repair, and other processes. Many studies suggest a critical role of Vitamin D in immunity and defense against pathogens. Many bacterial and viral infections are often correlate with Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency and restoring Vitamin D levels manifests beneficial consequences. Owing to the beneficial effect of Vitamin D in diseased conditions, several studies have explored the therapeutic potential of Vitamin D against one of the deadliest diseases, malaria.

The most severe form of malaria known to mankind, Cerebral Malaria (CM), caused by Plasmodium falciparum, kills ~400,000 people annually, the majority of whom are children. Although effective antimalarial treatment is available, the mortality rate of CM is still 15%-25%, which necessitates the development of an effective adjunct therapy to combat the etiology of CM. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be linked with higher mortality rates in many infectious diseases including malaria.

Many studies on mouse model as well as human trials have indicated that Vitamin D treatment protects or reduces the severity of CM. Vitamin D insufficiency has been found to be associated with the emergence of severe malaria in humans. However, a few reports on Vitamin D treatment of malaria showed conflicting results. Studies on large cohorts are necessary to determine whether Vitamin D supplementation may help to prevent and treat CM. In this chapter, we present and discuss Vitamin D and its effect on the immune system, and on various infectious diseases. The main focus is given to studies of Vitamin D treatment, and its effect on cerebral malaria in mouse models and in human trials.

2022 Deaths:TB = 1.3 million, Malaria = 0.6 million

10% to 20% more likely for under- five children to get malaria within 6 months of low vitamin D test - Dec 2023

Vitamin D status and the risk of malaria among under-five children in Africa - Dec 2023 abstract only

Background Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and malaria are conditions of public health importance whose burden is still rising among children globally and in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Animal studies have found evidence of the association between VDD and various outcomes, including malaria. However, few observational studies quantifying the effect of VDD or vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) on malaria in humans exist. This study aimed to examine the effect of vitamin D on malaria risk among children in SSA.

Methods This analysis utilised data from a prospective birth cohort in Entebbe, Uganda and a community-based cohort in Kilifi, Kenya. Univariate and multivariable Poisson regression with robust standard errors, logistic, and linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of vitamin D on malaria (incidence/risk/antibodies), respectively.

Results Of the 2493 children analysed, 42.0% had VDD/VDI (25(OH)D levels<75nmol/L). After adjusting for age, sex, iron deficiency (ID) and country, there was some evidence of an association between VDD/VDI and malaria incidence at 6 months following vitamin D measurement (ARR:1.18;95%CI:0.98–1.42;p=0.072) . Malaria risk and incidence results were similar. After adjusting for age, sex, ID, inflammation, and cohort, there was strong evidence of an association between VDD/VDI and higher log anti-AMA-1 (Adjusted β:0.25;95%CI:0.08,0.43;p-value=0.004). Some differences in the relationship between VDD/VDI and malaria antibody levels were seen between cohorts.

Conclusion Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased malaria incidence and P.falciparum antibodies. The results of this analysis were consistent with the evidence from animal studies and did not support the clues found in some existing observational studies. These results suggest that VDD/VDI may play a role in advancing malaria infection, but the malaria antibody results could be due to reverse causality. Further research is warranted to confirm the malaria incidence/risk results and address the direction of causality between VDD/VDI and malaria antibodies using Mendelian randomisation.

Search Google Scholar for Malaria "vitamin d": 28,200 studies as of May, 2025

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  • Does vitamin D reduce the mortality rate of Plasmodium infection?: a systematic review and meta-analysis - June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-023-04612-4

    • 3X fewer Malaria deaths in mice 📄 PDF

  • Relative Burdens of the COVID-19, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS Epidemics in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Pediatric Cerebral Malaria - Jan 2021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40475-021-00227-4

  • Oral administration of vitamin D and importance in prevention of cerebral malaria - Nov 2018 📄 PDF

    • All mice given Vitamin D survived, all mice without Vitamin d died

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VitaminDWiki Dengue Fever decimated by Vitamin D - many studies due to a related mosquito

  • Quinine (which fights malaria) increases vitamin D levels by reducing CYP3A4