Did you know having optimal vitamin D levels is the best defense for staying cold-free all winter?
A 2010 study showed that children given a low dose of vitamin D (1200 IU/day) were almost half as likely to come down with the flu than the group who received the placebo.
In addition, a number of in-depth reviews of scientific literature by the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews decimated the claim that the flu vaccine was the most effective way to prevent the flu.
In fact, a review of 51 studies, including Cochrane’s study of 260,000 children in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children under 2.
That means vitamin D was much more effective at preventing the flu than the vaccine designed specifically to fight the virus. Vitamin D also fights all strains of the viruses. The flu vaccine, on the other hand, is only developed to protect against one or two strains.
How does vitamin D fight the flu?
If you have optimal levels of vitamin D, your body will activate gene proteins that act as biological switches to control viral activity. This means vitamin D turns on the switch to mount an attack on invading viruses. It works the same way for invading fungus, bacteria and cancer, but only if you have optimal levels.
Vitamin D levels are determined by a blood test. Optimal blood levels for healthy persons are 50-80ng/dl. For anyone fighting an illness or disease this level is between 80-100 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl).
If you have optimal blood levels, congratulations. Your body can effectively fight the flu. Maintain your levels. If you have lower than optimal blood levels, then double your daily dose until you achieve a protective level over 50ng/dl.
How much vitamin D should I take?
If you can’t get your vitamin D from sunshine, you will need to supplement and daily doses of vitamin D is highly individualized.
Your daily maintenance dose is based on your weight and your state of health. In general, if you are healthy, take 1,000 units of vitamin D for every 25 pounds of body weight for maintenance. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds and your current level is optimal at 60ng/dl, then to maintain this level you will want to take 4,000-5,000 units daily.
On the other hand, if you weigh 100 pounds, have an optimal level and are diagnosed with cancer, then your healthcare practitioner should suggest 8,000-10,000 units daily in order to achieve an optimal level of 80-100ng/dl to help your immune system fight cancer cells.
Vitamin D and fighting the flu in children
The same dosage recommendations apply for children. A 25 pound child would take a daily dose of 1,000 units. If their serum levels are below 50, then doubling or tripling their maintenance dose is appropriate to quickly achieve an optimal level so they can effectively fight the flu.
And remember, the human body requires saturation of the fat cells by vitamin D before entering into the bloodstream. This process takes time, but once an optimal level is reached, then and only then can the body work to annihilate all foreign viral invaders.
Know your vitamin D level and protect your health! Have your levels checked by your doctor.
Dr. Lucinda Messer is the author of the award-winning book “Powerful Medicine Vitamin D; Shedding Light on a Worldwide Health Crisis.” She is a licensed naturopathic physician and has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University. For consultations, Messer can be reached at her Kirkland office at (425) 827-9770 or online at drlucinda.com or powerfulD.com.
