Vitamin D-3
Instead of rushing to get the flu shot and going to the doctors when your symptoms present…. Lets boost our immune system and prepare for this season with Vitamin D.
Popular natural doctor, Dr. Mercola, cites that Vitamin D may help boost immunity by activating the T-cells your body needs to fight infection. Because of this, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, and depression!
Actually, it all makes sense when you put it together! Your body naturally produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun. In the winter, when we get much less sun in general and are more prone to vitamin D deficiency, the flu is more common.
Vitamin D is Essential for Life
- Cellular life (helps to prevent certain cancers and respiratory problems such as asthma)
- Organ health
- Muscle strength
- Immune health
- Brain health
Vitamin D and Health
Vitamin D maintains calcium and phosphate homeostasis in the body. Getting sufficient vitamin D can reduce your risk of the following:
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Certain types of cancer (e.g. bowel cancer)
- Decreased bone density
- Diabetes
- Acute illness
- Frequent illness (this is one reason why the winter months are often considered the “cold and flu season”)
- Acute injury
- Abnormal growth in children
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Inflammation (which causes a lot of different health problems)
- Autoimmune diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease)
- Hypertension
Are You Vitamin D Deficient?
Ask yourself a few questions to get a clearer picture of your levels of vitamin D.
- Do you avoid direct sun exposure?
- If you do go outside during the daytime hours do you wear sunblock or protective clothing?
- Do you live above 35 degrees latitude in the Northern Hemisphere? (north of Atlanta or Los Angeles)
- Do you take a vitamin D supplement?
How do I get vitamin D?
The best source of vitamin D is the sun. During warmer, sunny months of the year, look for getting some sun. A safe sun exposure recommendation is: to get in the sun for 2 times per week between 10am and 3pm with your arms and legs exposed for about 5-30min (note: this length depends on season, latitude and skin color).
If you are deficient, increase supplemental vitamin D by 1000 IU over 3-4 months for every desired 10ng/ml increase in vitamin D levels. If you are deficient, then, go to the store and get some vitamin D3 (liquid Form). A great guideline from the British Journal of Sports Medicine for those with limited sun exposure is to supplement with 1,000-2,000 IU vitamin D3 per day. They see this as both safe and necessary to maintain adequate vitamin D levels.
Food sources. The top food sources for vitamin D are fatty fish, shiitake mushrooms, beef, egg yolks and Swiss cheese. Start your day with a hard-boiled egg (choose free-range, organic eggs), or grill some fish for dinner. Select fish with low mercury levels like Freshwater Coho salmon, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, mackerel and herring.
Trusted supplements. If you do opt to take supplements, research supplements that go through trusted third-party testing and are certified organic.
If you’re not taking at least 5,000 IUs of vitamin D each day during the winter flu season, you’re probably vitamin D deficient and that’s making you a sitting duck for influenza.
In addition to vitamin D, there are all sorts of other herbal remedies, trace minerals (like zinc), and superfood nutrients that can help protect you.
