| Vitamin D May Help You Recover Quicker… and Prevent a Cold or Flu in the First Place Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold or flu virus packing … it will prevent them from invading your body in the first place. Contrary to flu vaccines (which I'll discuss in a moment), this recommendation has been gaining scientific validation. For example, in one study, published last year, researchers investigated the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. For over a year, they conducted a study comparing the effects of vitamin D3 with placebos. They found that influenza A occurred in just 10.8 percent of the children in the vitamin D group, compared with 18.6 percent children in the placebo group. According to the authors: "This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren." Based on the latest investigations by Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth, the average adult dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels is 8,000 IU's of vitamin D per day, if you're taking an oral supplement. For children, many experts agree they need about 35 IU's of vitamin D per pound of body weight. However, keep in mind that vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, so while these recommendations may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone's needs. The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you'll want to maintain a vitamin D level of 50-70 ng/ml year-round. For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency. Conventional Cold and Flu Strategies May Actually Slow Down Healing Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25 percent last two weeks, and 5-10 percent last three weeks. Even the most stubborn colds will typically resolve in a few weeks' time. Influenzas on the other hand, tend to be shorter in duration, with the typical flu case lasting four to seven days. How quickly you bounce back is often defined by your collective lifestyle habits -- and this does not mean popping over-the-counter cold and flu remedies or fever reducers. In fact, as long as your temperature remains below 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) there is no need to lower it. Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures, so a slight fever should actually help you get rid of the virus quicker. Also avoid over-the-counter pain-relief medications, as research suggests that taking aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen) may actually suppress your body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus. Aspirin has also been linked to lung complications including pulmonary edema, an abnormal build up of fluid in your lungs, when taken in excess. Only use these medications when absolutely necessary, such as if you have a temperature greater than 105 degrees F (40.5 degrees C), severe muscle aches or weakness. Most importantly, remember that antibiotics do NOT work against viruses, hence they are useless against colds and flu's. Unfortunately antibiotics are vastly over-prescribed for this purpose. So please, if you have a cold or flu, remember that unless you have a secondary bacterial pneumonia, an antibiotic will likely do far more harm than good, because whenever you use an antibiotic, you're increasing your susceptibility to developing infections with resistance to that antibiotic -- and you can become the carrier of this resistant bug, and can spread it to others. Lifestyle factors that can depress your immune system, alone or in combination, include: · Eating too much sugar, particularly fructose, and too many grains. The average person is consuming about 75 grams of fructose per day, and when fructose is consumed at that level it can devastate your immune system. One of the ways it does this is by unbalancing your gut flora. Sugar is 'fertilizer' for pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi that can set your immune system up for an assault by a respiratory virus. Most people don't realize that 80 percent of your immune system actually lies in your gastrointestinal tract. That's why controlling your sugar intake is CRUCIAL for optimizing your immune system. It would be wise to limit your total fructose consumption to below 25 grams a day if you're in good health, or below 15 grams a day if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or are insulin resistant. · Vitamin D deficiency, as a result of insufficient sun exposure · Not getting enough rest · Insufficient exercise · Using ineffective strategies to address emotional stressors Vitamin D Deficiency: An Underlying Cause of Both Colds and Influenzas It's estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to a dozen. Each year, between five and 20 percent of the US population also come down with flu-like illness, according to Medline. One reason for the widespread prevalence of colds and the flu may be that vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold and flu viruses are at their peak. Research has confirmed that "catching" colds and flu may actually be a symptom of an underlying vitamin D deficiency. Less than optimal vitamin D levels will significantly impair your immune response and make you far more susceptible to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections. In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu -- and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma. At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels. You can read about them in detail here. But the research is quite clear, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections. I strongly believe you could avoid colds and influenza entirely by maintaining your vitamin D level in the optimal range. When Should You Call Your Physician? Sinus, ear and lung infections (bronchitis and pneumonia) are examples of bacterial infections that DO respond to antibiotics. If you develop any of the following symptoms, these are signs you may be suffering from a bacterial infection rather than a cold virus, and you should call your physician's office: · Fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) · Ear pain · Pain around your eyes, especially with a green nasal discharge · Shortness of breath or a persistent uncontrollable cough · Persistently coughing up green and yellow sputum |