DENVER -- Could Vitamin D help you fight off H1N1?

Researchers claim the vitamin produced in the body during exposure to sunlight plays a role in immunity against respiratory infections such as pneumonia and seasonal flu.

"We don't know, yet, if taking Vitamin D will help prevent swine flu, but there really are no risks associated with taking Vitamin D," said Sunny Linnebur, with the University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy.

In fact, most people aren’t getting nearly enough of the immunity-building vitamin, she said.

“What we know is that most people use sunscreen, and that prevents them from getting the benefits of vitamin D. Typically, there isn’t enough in a multivitamin or in food, so you do have to take a supplement,” she said. “At a dose of about 1,000 units a day almost no one is going to get any toxic effects.”

State health officials say there may be many complimentary prevention methods out there, but they don’t replace the basic message of wash your hands, cough into your sleeve and stay home if you’re sick.