Vitamin D better than vaccines at preventing flu, report claims

[I Have A Dream]

The risk of children suffering from flu can be halved if they take vitamin D, doctors in Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight, has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than anti-viral drugs or vaccine.

Only one in ten children, aged six to 15 years, taking the sunshine vitamin in a clinical trial came down with flu compared with one in five given a dummy tablet. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, the Japanese doctor who led the trial, told The Times that vitamin D was more effective than vaccines in preventing flu.

Vitamin D was found to be even more effective when the comparison left out children who were already given extra vitamin D by their parents, outside the trial. Taking the sunshine vitamin was then shown to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise be.

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial, which took place during the winter of 2008-09, before the swine flu epidemic. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A, which caused last year’s epidemic, but not against the less common influenza B.

(continued at link below)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article7061778.ece

[I Have A Dream]

1. I believe this.

Although my experience is purely anecdotal evidence, I have gotten sick much less over the last two year since taking Vitamin D3. It is my belief that, along with trying to keep my hands as clean as possible during cold/flu season (which I had done prior to taking the supplement), taking this supplement has helped me to not get sick even when I've gotten very little sleep. (Sometimes I got as little as 2-3 hours of sleep a night last winter (2008/2009).)


(On edit: Fixed typo.)

[Delphinus]

21. Heavens!

2-3 hours of sleep??!! Oh, my goodness. I hope that your situation has settled to where you can get more of what you need in the sleep department.

[I Have A Dream]

22. Hi, Delphinus! I was in the middle of an 11-month project at work..

that had a very firm deadline. The deadline was last April. Things have since settled down at work, but I still can't make myself sleep correctly even though I'm exhausted and have no trouble falling asleep; I just can't seem to make myself go to bed. (I'm like a little child fighting sleep.) I usually get around 5 to 5.5 hours of sleep a night now. It's still not enough but much better than during the project. :)

[MorningGlow]

2. Good news

I'd like to see more studies done on D and common illnesses. I've been very impressed with MG Jr's health since he's started taking D. Last year he caught EVERYthing and spent more days out sick than in school. This year he's only had a few viruses and a mild case of swine flu--quite a difference. No regular flu at all. :thumbsup:

I realize that may also be attributed to a buildup of his immune response, but if that were the case, he shouldn't have been so very sick in kindergarten (last year) with two years of preschool under his belt. So I'm more inclined to credit vit. D for his improved health.

[get the red out]

3. Very interesting!

I can honestly report that I haven't had a hint of a cold since I started taking more vitamin D after a friend told me it is helpful in combatting the winter blues. I hadn't even thought of it, I haven't had a cold in over a year.

I did get sick for a few days in reaction to the H1N1 vaccine though, LOL! It almost made me miss the one basketball game we had tickets for, stress ALMOST. :P

[I Have A Dream]

4. You'd have had to be on your death bed to miss that game, gtro!

:rofl:

[get the red out]

6. Yep!

If a stretcher needed to be found I would have found it! LOL!!!!!

[I Have A Dream]

5. It's my understanding that Vitamin D3 is the most effective...

type of Vitamin D, in case anyone decides to try it. I don't remember the details as to why.

[MorningGlow]

7. It's most easily synthesized by the body

and lasts longer in the body as well, IIRC. Celebration would know more about this--she's a font of vit. D info.

My son's pediatrician tried to tell me to give him D2, but luckily Celebration warned me against it, and I ignored the doc and gave him D3 supplements instead.

[kentauros]

8. For me, D3 has to be vegetarian and there aren't many such sources.

Here's a site that details vegetarian means to get D:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/22854-natural-vegetarian-sources-vitamin-d

Sunshine: The Best Source of Vitamin D

When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun, a cholesterol-like compound is converted to a vitamin D precursor and then to vitamin D3, (or cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 is activated by enzymes from the liver and then the kidney. Ten to 15 minutes of sun exposure (for most people, without sunscreen) approximately three times a week, makes enough vitamin D. It can be stored for several months in the body. It cannot be emphasized enough, vitamin D made by the body through sun exposure and activated by enzymes in the body is the best way to ensure optimal vitamin D status.

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

9. Not for everyone, I'm afraid

Some people have an absorption resistance. For me (and my mom and my son), sunshine gives nowhere near enough.

[kentauros]

10. There are other sources detailed on that site.

I only quoted the first one ;)

[MorningGlow]

11. Yes but

some people need megadoses in order to raise their vitamin D to acceptable levels. Food doesn't do it either, I'm afraid.

[kentauros]

12. There are toxicity levels of D, so I hope y'all stay safe

if you're doing "mega-doses". I have a neighbor that drinks so much milk, he gets skin eruptions. Why he doesn't listen to his doctor and cut back, I don't know...

[MorningGlow]

13. It's nearly impossible to OD on D

Sounds like your neighbor might be allergic to milk. Drinking too much milk doesn't give you too much vitamin D.

When I say "megadoses", I mean 10,000 IUs a day, as prescribed by my doctor according to my weight. She calculated the same for my son according to his weight (2,000 IUs a day). There's a science to it, don't worry. ;)

[kentauros]

14. I know there's a science to it, but there are also toxicity levels,

as there are with other vitamins. Not all, of course, but there is with Vit.D. Yes, I understand your doctor knows what she's doing, just that not everyone is going to go to their doctor (assuming they have one at all) and self-medicate without researching it.

Here are two more sources on Vit. D and potential toxicity levels. The first one backs up your doctor's knowledge, at least with regard to the 2000 IU level. The second one is from the NIH, so it tends to be very technical:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

[MorningGlow]

15. I know

But you'd have to take ridiculous amounts of prescription-level D to reach toxicity levels, is what I was trying to say.

[kentauros]

16. Of course, and I agree with that.

I'm just pointing out that people will do just that, after reading one thing online and not looking any further, or having any basic interest in learning more. Or, the common thinking being that more means better. And thus we have people OD'ing on aspirin because that headache won't go away right now!!! ;)

That NIH site, by the way, is a great source on supplements, especially if you end up in a "discussion" on the Health forum here ;)

[MorningGlow]

17. Okay. n/t

[kimmerspixelated]

18. Agreed, no doubt true.

Good thing it was posted here. The vax group might have jumped their usual hoops.

[Celebration]

19. Chiming in

I have had no illnesses since starting D3, and grandson has had a few colds, and antibiotics maybe once. Things were way worse with him last year.

[rumpel]

20. That is great news

I also heard it helps in prevention of depression..
The more reason for my mother to take, too
Thanks for this information
:)

[MorningGlow]

23. Something else to consider

I was just reading up on the effect of soy on my hypothyroidism (soy slows the thyroid and makes hypothyroidism worse, but it's nearly impossible to escape soy unless you make all your own food--but I digress) and I saw this little tidbit:

# Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.

http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Alert/

so if your diet is high in soy products, you might need even more D than you thought. :hi:

[I Have A Dream]

25. As a vegetarian who eats tofu, this is good to know.

Thanks for the information, MG.

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

26. I don't know much about soy

(I find the stuff vile, myself, but that's just my own opinion.) But if I recall correctly, fermented soy products are better than "raw" soy products. I'm sure a little trip down Google Lane could provide more info. :hi:

[liberalmuse]

24. Great to know!

I've been taking Vitamin D for a few months now, and it's done wonders! I need it where I live because we don't get enough sun up here in the Pacific NW. It's nice to read it has many other benefits as well.

[Sienna86]

27. I've taken D3 for over six months

along with fish oil and a probiotic. Didn't get the flu when the kids all had it (did I just wash my hands a lot?) and got through the winter without other illnesses. It's anecdotal but I think something makes a difference in my mood - all good.

[BlueIris]

28. It took a couple of months to convince me vitamin D was worth it, but now I am totally convinced

of its value. I can't go so far as to claim it's a miracle vitamin, but after just three months of 400 mg of Vitamin D with my daily calcium supplement, I have noticed a significant increase in mood stability. I had no changes in mood this winter, even during the most bland of the weather and most challenging of social situations. That is a first. Usually, I have a not insignificant issue with the "winter blues."

I wouldn't be surprised if it could help with immune system support as well, but my primary motive for taking it is mood support.