Help prevent swine flu with vitamin D

Swine flu is currently at the forefront of our health concerns. Experts predict a pandemic this season. The White House estimates that about 90,000 people will die from swine flu, more than twice as many as in a typical flu season. Vaccine manufacturers are working overtime to create a flu shot; this vaccine is expected to be ready in mid-October.

Swine flu symptoms are virtually identical to normal flu symptoms, including cough, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches, so it will be hard to tell the difference, and it may not be relevant. Also, just like regular flu, swine flu is spread through airborne droplets from coughing or direct contact with a person who has swine flu.

It is important to know who is most likely to get swine flu. Those most at risk include:

• Children from 6 months to 19 years (but the younger the child, the greater the risk).
• Pregnant women.
• People 50 years and older.
• People of any age with heart or lung disease (asthma, COPD, emphysema) or diabetes.
• People with weakened immune systems.

Since swine flu is a new strain of flu that we have not yet been exposed to, we have yet to develop immunity and everyone is at risk of getting swine flu. That’s why people are so worried about swine flu this year.

There are many people who are wary of the swine flu vaccine for various reasons. It is not my intention to persuade those who are ready to get vaccinated not to take it. But there are other ways to prevent swine flu using natural methods and lessen its severity if it does come. Simply doing nothing and passively relying on the body’s ability to heal itself is foolish. We need to actively support the body’s ability to fight swine flu.

First, we can look at the basic common sense concepts that apply to virtually all common upper respiratory tract illnesses (common cold, influenza, etc.). These include:

• Reduce your intake of sugars and other simple carbohydrates. They have been shown to suppress the immune system by lowering white blood cell counts for up to 24 hours.
• Drink plenty of water… ideally, at least 1 ounce for every 3 pounds of body weight per day. (150 pounds = 50 ounces of water).
• Get enough sleep.
• Wash your hands often, especially if you are around people who may be sick.
• Optimizing your nutritional status

That last one is a bit vague… after all, if you’re eating right or at least taking a multivitamin, aren’t you in good nutritional shape? The short answer, almost without exception, is “no.” The foods we eat today are generally deficient in vitamins and minerals for various reasons. And multivitamins are helpful, but I find multivitamins to be a good basic “insurance plan,” when the goal is just health maintenance. In this case, our goal is to prevent swine flu, so it is good to adapt nutritional supplementation accordingly.

The most discussed natural method of preventing swine flu this year is vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D is often found in foods in ridiculously low doses compared to what our bodies need. Certain cold-water fish are the only significant dietary source of vitamin D. The best source of vitamin D is the sun. Fair-skinned people can produce up to 20,000 IU of vitamin D simply by spending 15 minutes in direct sunlight, while a cup of fortified milk provides only 100 IU of vitamin D. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 200 IU for adults, 400 IU for children, but this is only to prevent bone diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia, not to optimize immune function.

Today there is significant evidence linking low levels of vitamin D in the body to low immunity. In fact, some health professionals and scientists, myself included, consider lack of exposure to sunlight in the winter months (and consequent lack of vitamin D absorption) to be a major reason why colds and the flu are so prevalent at this time.

It’s a good idea to get your vitamin D levels checked right now. They must be above 50 ng/mL. If you are an adult and your vitamin D levels are low, start with a high supplement dose of 5,000 IU per day and then check again in 3 months. Or get plenty of sun: at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight on as much skin as possible every day.