Decrease your Risk for the Flu

By Chuck Anderson


In recent months you can find a lot of news reports regarding a winter flu outbreak nationwide. The Center for Disease Control says that influenza has now officially reached epidemic levels. Obviously, being a parent, one of the first things that pops into my head is how do I prevent my kids from coming down with the flu? One of the most effective natural preventions for the flu is Vitamin D. An interesting clinical study from 2010 indicated that kids using a 1200 IU daily supplement of Vitamin D had essentially a fifty percent decrease in their risk for contracting the flu.

Well precisely what is Vitamin D, and why don't we read about it very much? Vitamin D is regarded as a steroid vitamin which has an impact on quite a few genes in the body. It has been established that Vitamin D provides a significant effect on over two hundred genes in the body, and it has over two thousand places to bind within the human genome. Most of these particular genes have been shown to correspond with many different illnesses, suggesting that Vitamin D is likely involved in the manifestation and prevalence of these types of diseases. In the past, Vitamin D's sole purpose was thought to be protection against the bone disease named Ricketts, mainly because it aids in the intake and metabolism of calcium. Because of this view, the daily recommendation for Vitamin D was set at 400 IU a day. Don't forget that this is the minimum amount required to avoid developing Ricketts. The fact is, your body may require considerably more than that for it to gain the full benefits.

Where do we get Vitamin D? It's fairly challenging to acquire appropriate quantities of Vitamin D from the things you eat, because to be honest it doesn't usually exist in foods. The most effective way to get Vitamin D is from sunlight. Precursors exist in your skin which are activated when they're subjected to natural light. In fact, complete exposure to the sun for only thirty minutes can make around 20,000 IU of Vitamin D. But how many of us get out in the sunshine? Especially in the winter months it's not easy to obtain adequate levels of Vitamin D. It is believed that around eighty-five percent of people in the US may very well be lacking in this critical vitamin.

If vitamin D plays a part in our immunity, and we get less of it over the winter season, maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise that the flu and colds are likely to appear more often in winter. But it doesn't just stop with those seasonal illnesses. Research has steadily been building up that Vitamin D could be beneficial in many illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and much more.

It is starting to be more and more evident that by optimizing your vitamin D quantities, you will be a substantially healthier human being. The question then becomes, just what is an optimal level of Vitamin D. There is quite a bit of disagreement on that topic, but in my personal opinion, a great range is 50-70 ng/ml. This range was developed from individuals in tropical and subtropical places who regularly get sufficient sun exposure. But for those of us who whether due to weather, work, or money, can't get enough sun exposure, taking a Vitamin D supplement might be our best alternative. However, before starting oral supplementation of Vitamin D, it's very important to get your blood quantities tested. Every person's body is unique, and may require different amounts of Vitamin D so that you can maintain an ideal level. To make it even easier, home tests are now available for vitamin D that you can purchase on the internet.

If you are worried about coming down with something this winter, think about getting your Vitamin D levels tested. If you are like the majority of people in America, you will probably find yourself being deficient. Supplementation of Vitamin D could go a long way towards keeping you and your family healthy.




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