Vitamin D for swine flu protection

Vitamin D for swine flu protection is a new area that the sunshine vitamin can make you healthier. Since the American Cancer Society increased its campaign against sunshine, more and more people opt for heavy sun blocks or avoid the sun entirely. While too much exposure to the sun at one time can cause burning and lead to eventual changes in the skin, no exposure leads you to vitamin D deficiency. Simply being in the sun for a minimum of 15 minutes each day can give you the vitamin D your body requires.

Vitamin D is in limited amounts in foods. Unless you drink fortified organic milk, suck down cod liver oil like there's no tomorrow, take supplements or eat foods fortified with vitamin D you'll probably be short on the nutrient. Even people exposed to the sun daily often don't get an adequate supply if they live in the Northern areas where winters are long and there's insufficient sunshine for your skin to produce vitamin D. Scientists now discover that with the use of sun blocks, more Americans than ever have a shortage of vitamin D even in the summer months.

These facts are important in the light of the discovery that vitamin D not only helps build and maintain strong bones, it also protects you from complications of influenza. In a recent study of 19,000 people, those that had the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent chance of having a respiratory infection. A.A. Ginde, J.M. Mansbach, C.A. Camargo Jr., published the results of their study in the "Archives of Internal Medicine." The results also indicated the use of vitamin D as an immune booster people with lung problems such as asthma or COPD. From the early indications, it may prevent complications caused from swine flu or other respiratory viruses.

The concept of vitamin D to prevent complications or the flu itself isn't new. A study done on lab mice in the 1940's indicated that mice low in vitamin D had a better chance of developing influenza than those with adequate vitamin D levels. The Public Health Agency of Canada, collaborated last year with McMaster University and hospitals and universities across Canada to conduct a three-year study on blood serum levels of vitamin D and swine flu victims. They hope to discover the whether there is a true correlation in humans between the body's level of vitamin D and their resistance to the swine flu or complications.

If a positive correlation exists, then the Public Health Agency of Canada would recommend the addition of supplemental vitamin D, for not only the "at risk" population, but also anyone that wishes to avoid the flu. For those people who believe the influenza vaccination might be just as dangerous to them as the illness, the extra dose of vitamin D might be an acceptable alternative, in addition to the immune boosting vitamin C they may already be taking. A good book to read on the subject is "Vitamin D Prescription" by Eric Madrid MD. He goes into great detail about Preventing Swine Flu. Reduce Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Fibromyalgia & more by 50%

So when flu season approaches, take a sunbath, drink fortified organic milk, take a spoonful of cod liver oil and maybe throw in a few vitamin D supplements. Even though the research isn't final, there's enough evidence to support that vitamin D for swine flu protection might help you and the worst possible reaction you'll have is stronger bones.