Vitamin D provides defense against flu and the common cold
It’s critical to get your flu shot early. That’s what they’re always saying around Labor Day.
Never too late to get a flu shot. That’s what they’re always saying around this time of year.
Do you get the feeling they’ll say just about anything to sell a flu shot?
Meanwhile, it appears that this flu & cold season is a particularly tough one. Which means it’s never too late to load up on vitamin D, according to a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
When researchers compared blood test results to respiratory tract infections in more than 18,000 people, they found that a low level of vitamin D was significantly linked to a higher risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). This link was especially strong in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In the e-Alert “Live Long” (9/17/08), Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., and HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., offer guidelines for supplemental dosage of vitamin D.
Source:
“Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D. Level and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 169, No. 4, 2/23/09, archinte.ama-assn.org
