Preventing the flu with Vitamin D

Vitamin D, otherwise known as “The Sunshine Vitamin” flows with the season. We have higher levels in the summer and hit rock bottom levels in the darkest days of winter. Not surprisingly, the incidence of colds and flu also rise steadily in the winter until they disappear during the Vitamin D-rich summer months.

Get the trend so far?

It may be quite simple. Your body’s innate immunity, especially the production of innate natural antibiotics called Antimicrobial peptides, goes up and down every year with your vitamin D levels. (Acquired immunity is quite different, those are the antibodies you slowly develop after an infection or a Flu shot.) Maintaining summer-time vitamin D levels in the winter — by taking adequate amounts of vitamin D (5,000 IU) — may help prevent Colds or the Flu by stimulating innate immunity.

And that’s what John Jacob Cannell MD of the Vitamin D Council have been telling people for years.

Here’s a list of diseases that are also affected by deficiencies in Vitamin D: cancer, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, and much more here.

So maybe it’s time I get my dose of sunshine… or Vitamin D at least.

(Of course, if you’re spending time in the sun, make sure you put on sunscreen, winter or not).

[Thanks to Mom's Blog]