Vitamin D and the Flu: What's the Connection?

Threats of a harsh flu season abound with the news reporting cases occurring earlier than usual this year. If you are in one of the high risk groups, this makes getting the flu shot all the more important. But is there something else you can do to give yourself added protection? Are your Vitamin D levels important? Read on to find out.

Vitamin D and the Flu

An interesting phenomenon occurred while Cannell, a psychiatrist and former general practitioner, was working with the criminally insane in a maximum-security hospital setting. An outbreak of influenza occurred at the hospital in 2005 after a rainy spring. The wards below, to the right, to the left and across the hall became infected, but the patients on Cannell's ward did not become ill. The patients on the unaffected ward had intermingled with patients form other wards before they were quarantined and some of the nurses on the unaffected ward also worked on the wards where there were outbreaks. What was the difference? Well, one thing was that the patients on the unaffected ward were taking vitamin D everyday. The statistics from this ward alone were only of borderline significance as it could have been coincidence, but it did spur more interest and more data to be collected.

After more data was collected, Cannell and his associates, (Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, and Giovanucci E. Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Sep 7;: 1-12), wrote a paper discussing the possibility that vitamin D may prevent colds and flu. More and more doctors are realizing the need to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D especially during the winter months when the days are shorter and our exposure to the sun is less.

Monitoring Your Vitamin D Levels

In order to maintain a healthy blood level of 50 ng/ml, you would need to visit your doctor to determine your current level. This can be done with a simple blood test. Unfortunately, the amount of vitamin D you require in the summer months is different than what you would need in the winter and like other vitamins, taking too much can be toxic, so check with your doctor regarding your Vitamin D level.

Vitamin D has also gotten a lot of press regarding other conditions that it might prevent, so it is well worth your time to investigate your levels. According to the Vitamin D Council's website, Vitamin D's metabolic product, calcitriol, targets over 2000 genes in the human body.

Get your Flu Shot

Do not forego your flu shot. The CDC does recommend that certain groups get a flu shot. To see if you are included in this list, please visit their website.

Resources:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/51913.php
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm#who