Influenza and Vitamin D

I have become more and more convinced that many of the ailments that trouble us can be remedied by what are considered "alternative" treatments. These alternative treatments have fewer (usually non existent) side effects and are more affordable than going the route of traditional medicine. My friend Kristi (HI KRISTY!) posted on Facebook the other day about the relationship between influenza and Vitamin D. I've done some research and wanted to share it with you here:

Here is an excerpt from an article in the Milwaukee newspaper from May of 2009: If the current strain of H1N1 swine flu is like flu strains of years past, it likely will mysteriously subside in the coming weeks.

For whatever reason, in temperate areas such as North America, flu largely is a fall and winter phenomenon.

A couple of theories have tried to explain that seasonality, but in recent years an intriguing new idea has emerged:

Levels of flu-fighting vitamin D reach their lowest point in the winter when ultraviolet light disappears.

Vitamin D, which is made in large amounts in the skin when it is exposed to solar radiation, is a hormone that regulates hundreds of genes. Some of those involve the body's innate immunity and its defenses against viruses, especially those affecting the respiratory system.

The idea is that if people increased their levels of vitamin D, it might help ward off outbreaks of flu.

For as far back as records exist, flu outbreaks have occurred around the planet when solar radiation was at its lowest. No one has been able to say why.


Here is an article from US News and World Report that says "The researchers found that those with less than 10 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, considered low, were nearly 40 percent more likely to have had a respiratory infection than those with vitamin D levels of 30 ng or higher. The finding was consistent across all races and ages.

In particular, people who had a history of asthma or some form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were even more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiencies."

Just Google "Vitamin D +Flu" and see what you find. I know I'm going to start my family on Vitamin D supplements tomorrow.