Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a respiratory health condition involving tuberculosis infection, which may progress to active disease. These are related but distinct outcomes: infection refers to acquiring tuberculosis, while active disease refers to progression beyond infection.
See how Tuberculosis fits within the respiratory health category and find essential information in one place.
This list shows research findings, not treatments. Nothing here replaces medical care. If you have this condition, talk to a doctor.
What may help
What studies found for each option, best evidence first.
3 options:1 some evidence2 not enough evidence
BreathworkpracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit.
A trial in 54 people with tuberculosis found reduced fatigue over 4 weeks. A quasi-experimental study in 70 people with pulmonary tuberculosis found lower dyspnoea scores than in the comparison group at day 6 and day 30.
Open the Breathwork pageLaughter Yoga / TherapypracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
In a 2022 quasi-experimental study, 52 hospitalized people with Tuberculosis who received 8-week simulated laughter therapy showed improvements in pulmonary function, physical symptoms, depression and health-related quality of life.
Open the Laughter Yoga / Therapy pagePursed-Lip BreathingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit.
A 2024 randomized controlled trial in 54 people with Tuberculosis found reduced fatigue on the Piper Fatigue Scale after 4 weeks of breathing exercises.
Open the Pursed-Lip Breathing page
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What may help
Interventions recorded as helping with this condition3 listedMost likely to help, from the evidence we have
- →PracticesBreathworkCertaintyMediumSourceClinical
A trial in 54 people with tuberculosis found reduced fatigue over 4 weeks. A quasi-experimental study in 70 people with pulmonary tuberculosis found lower dyspnoea scores than in the comparison group at day 6 and day 30.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Tuberculosis
Open BreathworkStudy result
RCT showing breathing exercises significantly reduced fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale) in TB patients over 4 weeks
Low probability(2)
- →PracticesLaughter Yoga / TherapyCertaintyLowSourceClinical
In a 2022 quasi-experimental study, 52 hospitalized people with Tuberculosis who received 8-week simulated laughter therapy showed improvements in pulmonary function, physical symptoms, depression and health-related quality of life.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Tuberculosis
Open Laughter Yoga / TherapyStudy result
Significant improvements in pulmonary function, physical symptoms, depression, and HRQOL in hospitalized TB patients after 8-week simulated laughter therapy.
- →PracticesPursed-Lip BreathingCertaintyLowSourceClinical
A 2024 randomized controlled trial in 54 people with Tuberculosis found reduced fatigue on the Piper Fatigue Scale after 4 weeks of breathing exercises.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Tuberculosis
Open Pursed-Lip BreathingStudy result
RCT showing significant reduction in fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale) after 4 weeks of breathing exercises in TB patients.
What to avoid
Interventions recorded as making it worseNothing in this library is currently recorded as making Tuberculosis worse. Coverage is partial, and absence here is not evidence of safety.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
Tuberculosis is a respiratory health condition involving tuberculosis infection, which may progress to active disease. These are related but distinct outcomes: infection refers to acquiring tuberculosis, while active disease refers to progression beyond infection. Vitamin D supplementation does not significantly reduce the overall incidence of tuberculosis infection or progression to active disease.
Evidence-backed options
Vitamin D is an option that has been studied in relation to tuberculosis, but the evidence does not support a significant reduction in the overall incidence of tuberculosis infection or progression to active disease. The relevant evidence comes from randomized controlled trial research, so the finding reflects a direct evaluation of supplementation rather than an observational association.
The information available here does not establish a dose, treatment duration, or how quickly any effect appeared. As a result, those aspects cannot be used to compare treatment approaches or determine whether effects differ by timing or course length. The findings address tuberculosis infection and progression overall, rather than identifying a clearly supported benefit for a particular subgroup. Anyone considering options related to tuberculosis should discuss them with a clinician.