Recently you may have noticed quite a few headlines in the news regarding an influenza outbreak in the US. Not too long ago, the CDC even said that the flu has now officially come to epidemic levels. Logically, as a parent, among the initial things that comes to mind is how can I protect my children from developing the flu? One of the best natural preventions for influenza is none other than Vitamin D. A clinical study from 2010 showed that children getting a 1200 IU daily supplement of Vitamin D had almost a 50% decline in risk for contracting influenza.
What exactly is Vitamin D, and why don't we read about it all that much? Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin that has an impact on many genes within the body. It has been demonstrated that Vitamin D has a significant effect on over two hundred genes within your body, and it has more than two thousand binding sites contained in the human genome. Most of these genes have been associated with various health conditions, showing that Vitamin D may play a role on the manifestation and prevalence of these kinds of diseases. In the past, the main role Vitamin D was believed to have was protecting against the bone disease referred to as Ricketts, mainly because it assists in the absorption and metabolism of calcium. Due to this limited view, the daily recommendation for Vitamin D was established to be 400 IU per day. Keep in mind that this is the lowest quantity necessary to protect against Ricketts. The truth is, the body may need much more than that to gain the full benefit.
How can we get Vitamin D? It's fairly difficult to get appropriate quantities of Vitamin D from food, because quite frankly it doesn't generally exist naturally in foods. The very best method to get Vitamin D is through sunlight. Our skin carries precursors which are triggered after being subjected to natural light. In fact, entire body exposure to the sun for only thirty minutes can make around 20,000 IU of Vitamin D. But what percentage of us go outside in the sunshine? Especially in the winter months it can be difficult to obtain ample quantities of Vitamin D. It is estimated that nearly 85% of North Americans may be deficient in this crucial vitamin.
So if vitamin D plays a part in our body's immune system, and we get less of it throughout the winter season, certainly it shouldn't be surprising that influenza and the common cold have a tendency to occur with greater regularity in the winter. But it doesn't just end with those seasonal illnesses. Research has gradually been increasing that Vitamin D might be beneficial in numerous ailments, such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, schizophrenia, depression, cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and much more.
It is starting to be more and more evident that by optimizing your vitamin D quantities, you will be a substantially healthier human being. The question then becomes, just what is an optimal level of Vitamin D. There is quite a bit of disagreement on that topic, but in my personal opinion, a great range is 50-70 ng/ml. This range was developed from individuals in tropical and subtropical places who regularly get sufficient sun exposure. But for those of us who whether due to weather, work, or money, can't get enough sun exposure, taking a Vitamin D supplement might be our best alternative. However, before starting oral supplementation of Vitamin D, it's very important to get your blood quantities tested. Every person's body is unique, and may require different amounts of Vitamin D so that you can maintain an ideal level. To make it even easier, home tests are now available for vitamin D that you can purchase on the internet.
If you' have any concerns about getting sick this winter, think about getting your Vitamin D values examined. If you are like the majority of US residents, you will definitely find yourself to be deficient. Using a daily Vitamin D supplement may help you and your family stay healthy this winter.
What exactly is Vitamin D, and why don't we read about it all that much? Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin that has an impact on many genes within the body. It has been demonstrated that Vitamin D has a significant effect on over two hundred genes within your body, and it has more than two thousand binding sites contained in the human genome. Most of these genes have been associated with various health conditions, showing that Vitamin D may play a role on the manifestation and prevalence of these kinds of diseases. In the past, the main role Vitamin D was believed to have was protecting against the bone disease referred to as Ricketts, mainly because it assists in the absorption and metabolism of calcium. Due to this limited view, the daily recommendation for Vitamin D was established to be 400 IU per day. Keep in mind that this is the lowest quantity necessary to protect against Ricketts. The truth is, the body may need much more than that to gain the full benefit.
How can we get Vitamin D? It's fairly difficult to get appropriate quantities of Vitamin D from food, because quite frankly it doesn't generally exist naturally in foods. The very best method to get Vitamin D is through sunlight. Our skin carries precursors which are triggered after being subjected to natural light. In fact, entire body exposure to the sun for only thirty minutes can make around 20,000 IU of Vitamin D. But what percentage of us go outside in the sunshine? Especially in the winter months it can be difficult to obtain ample quantities of Vitamin D. It is estimated that nearly 85% of North Americans may be deficient in this crucial vitamin.
So if vitamin D plays a part in our body's immune system, and we get less of it throughout the winter season, certainly it shouldn't be surprising that influenza and the common cold have a tendency to occur with greater regularity in the winter. But it doesn't just end with those seasonal illnesses. Research has gradually been increasing that Vitamin D might be beneficial in numerous ailments, such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, schizophrenia, depression, cancer, eczema, psoriasis, and much more.
It is starting to be more and more evident that by optimizing your vitamin D quantities, you will be a substantially healthier human being. The question then becomes, just what is an optimal level of Vitamin D. There is quite a bit of disagreement on that topic, but in my personal opinion, a great range is 50-70 ng/ml. This range was developed from individuals in tropical and subtropical places who regularly get sufficient sun exposure. But for those of us who whether due to weather, work, or money, can't get enough sun exposure, taking a Vitamin D supplement might be our best alternative. However, before starting oral supplementation of Vitamin D, it's very important to get your blood quantities tested. Every person's body is unique, and may require different amounts of Vitamin D so that you can maintain an ideal level. To make it even easier, home tests are now available for vitamin D that you can purchase on the internet.
If you' have any concerns about getting sick this winter, think about getting your Vitamin D values examined. If you are like the majority of US residents, you will definitely find yourself to be deficient. Using a daily Vitamin D supplement may help you and your family stay healthy this winter.
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