Vitamin D and Flu

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:05 am

Mornin' Good Buddies!

Most of you know that I am not a big believer in vitamin supplementation, but I am totally impressed with vitamin D and think everyone should consider supplementing with it.

Listen to this! In addition to its role in probably preventing some cancers and osteoporosis, it has a major positive function on the immune system.
And it may even help to prevent flu.

Tex, you will find this especially interesting because of past discussions here. Remember we talked about the REAL danger with the bird flu, i.e. the fact that those who died from the 1918 pandemic flu were those who had the healhtiest immune systems? This is because the flu bug caused the release of immune system proteins called cytokines, which produced a raging infammatory response, causing the lungs to fill with fluid and the patient to die quickly. In other words, it was the inflammatory response and not the flu bug itself that killed people. Thus, those with the most robust immune systems were the most at risk of dying. Since most of us with MC have robust immune systems, we had theorized that we might be more at risk if/when bird flu hits.

But...............TA DA! Guess what? Vitamin D PREVENTS the excess expression of inflammatory cytokines and instead enhances other (much less inflammatory) immune functions. So some researchers are saying that we might fight and even prevent flu by taking vitamin D.

Most researchers in the field believe that the RDA needs to be raised beyond the current 400 units/day - at least to 1000 and possibly much higher. Did you know that when the skin is exposed to sunlight for only 20 minutes in the middle of a summer day, it makes 20,000 units of vitamin D!!! And, although dairy is fortified with vitamin D, a glass of milk contains less than 100 units.

Also, a group of researchers now believes that one only gets flu (which occurs in the N. hemisphere during the winter months) because of lowered vitamin D levels.

Interesting food for thought......................

Love,

Polly

Post by **tex** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:19 am

Polly,

That is indeed interesting food for thought. You can bet that after reading that, I'm not going to get caught short on vitamin D whenever there's a flu risk around. Not if I can help it, anyway.

One thing that I've always wondered, though. Those numbers are quoted as if they're mathematically accurate, but no one ever says a word about how much skin is involved in that estimate. Just how much skin does it take to absorb enough sunlight in 20 minutes to generate 20,000 units of vitamin D? LOL.

Thanks for that valuable information.

Love,
Tex

P S I don't really expect an answer to my question about skin exposure requirements, but I do think that it's kind of silly the way the "experts" publish those numbers, but never bother to tell us whether they're talking about a minimum of a few square inches on the face, or full body nudity. LOL.

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:17 am

Polly - thanks for this info. Very interesting. Do you recommend a particular kind/type/brand of Vitamin D? I'd read that the best way to supplement was through Cod fish oil. Is this true?

Thanks,
Beth

annie oakley · Post by **annie oakley** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:27 pm

Sounds interesting....I will add D to my pill box. What Kind Polly and Dosage? Love Oma

mle_ii · Post by **mle_ii** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:32 pm

tex wrote:Polly,

That is indeed interesting food for thought. You can bet that after reading that, I'm not going to get caught short on vitamin D whenever there's a flu risk around. Not if I can help it, anyway.

One thing that I've always wondered, though. Those numbers are quoted as if they're mathematically accurate, but no one ever says a word about how much skin is involved in that estimate. Just how much skin does it take to absorb enough sunlight in 20 minutes to generate 20,000 units of vitamin D? LOL.

Thanks for that valuable information.

Love,
Tex

P S I don't really expect an answer to my question about skin exposure requirements, but I do think that it's kind of silly the way the "experts" publish those numbers, but never bother to tell us whether they're talking about a minimum of a few square inches on the face, or full body nudity. LOL.

Actually, at one time I did do the research. When I get some spare time and find it again I'll let you know the details. One of the largest factors though is your latitude. I remember entering the data for my latitude and at certain parts of the year it would take more hours of exposure than there would be hours in a day. LOL

A good method is to make sure you are getting the D3 that I mentioned before, NOT D2 or some other form. D3 Cholecalciferol. Though I see value in sun exposure as well.

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:09 pm

I agree with Mike. From what I have read, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the best form to take. I am currently taking 800 units per day but am going to increase to 1200 per day for the winter. And I may consider even more if/when I am exposed to the flu. I am one who chooses not to get the flu shot. I order my vitamins online at Freeda because they are the only ones I have ever found that are free from all of my triggers.

Love,

Polly

Beth · Post by **Beth** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:36 pm

Hi Polly,

Is there another vitamin or mineral that we need to take along with Vitamin D in order to metabolize it correctly? For example, I think that calcium requires magnesium (I can't remember right now) to be incorporated into the body. Know what I mean?

Thanks,
Beth

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:15 pm

Very interesting. Along with how much skin is exposed and what latitude one lives at I wonder about altitude since I am a mile above sea level and I am very carefull in that the suns rays are so much more intense here with a mile of atmosphere missing than when I lived at sea level.

Matthew

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:58 am

Beth,

Vitamin D can be taken alone. I believe calcium can be too - but may be more effective, as you point out, when vitamin D and the minerals important to bone health are added.

Matthew,

It would be interesting to see if the incidence of flu is less in Denver and other cities with high altitude. And it would be interesting to see how much difference altitude makes in vitamin D production - I wonder if anyone has done this research. Maybe Mike has some info...

Mike,

When you get some spare time (what's that, you ask? LOL!!!) I'd love to hear more about your research on this. It is an extremely important topic, IMHO.

Love,

Polly

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:08 am

As some Vermont comedian points out in every routine, Vermont is above the "optimum climate line". I have no idea where "they" consider the optimum line to be, but I do know we are counting the minutes at this point until Friday when the days start getting longer again! Of course we don't really notice a difference until about late February.

Joanna, do you do anything special in the winter to keep up with sun, vit. D etc? I've been thinking about getting one of those sun lamps.

Katy