Colds and flu and the vitamin that everyone must know about – part 2

A paper recently published in a journal called Epidemiology and Infection, discusses in detail the benefits of vitamin D, and explores the theory that it is actually a “seasonal stimulus” that no one seems to notice. The paper suggests that changes in vitamin D levels, which occur throughout the year, explain why the influenza virus is seasonal. The periodic changes in vitamin D levels, which occur as we get close to winter, cause predictable and recurrent vitamin D deficiency during this season. This makes the human population much more susceptible to influenza epidemics.

Cases of colds and flu predictably happen mostly after the winter solstice, because that is when there are extremely low levels of vitamin D. Naturally, there are very few cases of colds and flu observed in the months after the summer solstice. It has also been found that the older population, who live in countries where vitamin D consumption is high, such as Norway, have a much lower chance of death in the winter. Russian scientists found that vitamin D-producing UVB lamps reduced colds and flu in schoolchildren and factory workers.

So, the obvious conclusion here is that vitamin D is very important. Physicians must diagnose and treat vitamin D deficiency adequately. It is recommended that the level of vitamin D taken daily should be maintained at 25-hydroxy levels, which is a level normally achieved on a regular summer’s day.

For more information, go to:
en.wikipedia.org,
ods.od.nih.gov

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.