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Va Va Vitamins: Focus on vitamin D and colds
Where to get your D and how to find out if you are deficient.
Winter is here, and so the cold and flu season is approaching fast also. It is time to make sure the old immune system is in tip top shape! There are several ways to avoid getting a cold/flu, including getting adequate rest and eating well by consuming lots of healthy protein, healthy fats, fruit and vegetables. In fact, some doctors and nutritionists think avoiding junk food is the best way to help the immune system. Others are not so sure, but avoiding junk food and filling up on healthy grub is always going to be better for your body in any case.
However, even if your diet is a wonderland of organic everything, you may still be missing out on some key nutrients, simply because we live in such a stressful world and our soils are not as full of minerals as they used to be. Stress can really deplete the body of vitamins and minerals, as, under stress, we typically need more. So, sometimes vitamin/minerals in tablet form are in order.
Vitamin D:
We all know by now that vitamin C is said to be good for curing or shortening the length of colds and flu’s. Well, there is a new bad boy on the block when it comes to immunity: vitamin D. Research on vitamin D has been ongoing for the past decade and it seems a lot of us are deficient in vitamin D.
In the good ol' caveman days we got plenty of it, even here in rainy Ireland, as we were outside all day wearing little clothing. Now, most of us spend our days indoors and certainly do not prance around naked outside either! Plus, our summers are not exactly tropical here so we really get little sun. For some reason also, even those in hot countries do not always absorb vitamin D from the sun. Finally, sunscreen blocks the action of vitamin D, so although we need to avoid getting burnt we also need a small amount of time (about 10-20 minutes depending on skin type) in the sun without sunscreen.
Unfortunately, low vitamin D levels have been strongly associated with colds, flu’s and other diseases. So, it might be a good idea to get the old' levels topped up. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means it is stored in the body, so a person should not supplement it unless they can get tested every six months. This is a simple blood test your doctor can do, in the same way he might check your iron levels for anaemia. There is also a global study being conducted by Grassroots/D-Action that anyone can sign up to.
Depending on blood levels, most doses start at 2000IU daily. In fact, in Canada, the government have just begun a large study investigating the role of vitamin D for protection against swine flu.
You can buy good quality vitamins and minerals in your local healthfood shop or in reputable online stores. When it comes to vitamin D in particular, the best brands of the highest quality can often be found online.
The foundation of good health is diet, but sometimes nature needs a little help!
Food sources of vitamin D: Fortified Milk, fortified yogurt, cheese, meat, poultry, fish (especially salmon, tuna and mackerel), beans, eggs and nuts.
By: Lynn Dunning
