Part of a healthy immune system involves responding to bacterial invasion. The body has many mechanisms to combat bacteria, including the white blood cells or leukocytes.

Several types of white blood cells produce small strings of amino acids (that are typically referred to as ‘peptides’) that can target invading bacteria. Through a variety of mechanisms, these peptides can associate with a bacterial cell membrane, breaking the cell open and driving it toward death. Collectively, these are known as “antimicrobial peptides”.

Here’s where vitamin D gets involved:

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