Want to avoid the flu this winter? Vitamin D helps! You can take the following specific steps to control vitamin D levels and stay healthy.
It’s flu season again
Ever wondered why people get sick easily in winter? There are many theories, including that we spend more time indoors and get close to others. Another reason is that influenza viruses can survive longer than their “host” in the cold and dry winter air.
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But I believe there is another reason to solve the confusion of why the flu seems to only appear in winter: Vitamin D deficiency makes us more vulnerable to virus attacks (and zinc deficiency).
Why vitamin D is important
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Vitamin D is a steroid hormone (not a real vitamin), and our body produces this hormone when exposed to direct sunlight. It also comes from grazing meat and eggs, liver, wild fish, sardines and oysters. Most of us are already deficient or deficient in vitamin D, because unlike our ancestors who lived outdoors, we live in offices and Starbucks, and few eat the foods listed above. About 80% of customers came to my office with vitamin D levels in the “deficiency” range.
Those of us who live above the 35-degree line in the northern hemisphere may hardly produce vitamin D in our bodies from October to March. I haven’t found a way to invent a computer screen that emits the light that produces vitamin D (but if you steal my ideas, I hope to get half of the profit-the honor system here, guys).
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Research by the National Institutes of Health proves that the vitamin D theory of winter diseases is valid, and perhaps the most powerful in a study published in JAMA in 2009. It is now generally accepted that, for whatever reason, Sufficient levels of vitamin D help people fight acute respiratory infections, Including those related to colds and flu.
Of course, opponents have some studies that show that vitamin D has no effect on your ability to fight the flu.After reviewing such studies, these studies seem to focus only on dose, Not the actual level of participants. You can provide someone with all the vitamin D in the world, but if it does not increase their blood levels within the optimal range, the results of the study are unreliable.
So what is the optimal level of vitamin D?
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No one knows, researchers are having a heated debate on this. There are basically two camps: 35-50 and 50-70.
I belong to the 50-70 camp, but there are some exceptions. This level should be achieved at least in part through sunlight and food and not through supplementation. I know that some people take large doses of refined vitamin D supplements for a long time to reach this level, and I don’t recommend this.
And there is some evidence that those who deal with very serious diseases can benefit from super high levels of treatment.
Learn from the traditional way of life
This view of mine is partly based on research on modern hunter-gatherers and social standards who live outdoors most of the time—just like we did more than 10,000 years ago. Researching people in traditional cultures that are relatively free of “Western” diseases is often a good way to understand what is the best option for the rest of us.
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A recent study of Maasai showed that their average level was 48 ng/ml (range: 23-67). The average concentration of Hadzabe is 44 ng/ml (range: 24-68). My recommendations are based in part on this research.
How do I manage my vitamin D
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In winter (October to March), I personally take 4,000-6,000 international units of D3 (cholecalciferol) and a teaspoon from the supplement Green Pasture Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Blended Oil Or a tablespoon Carlson Cod Liver Oil (Contains about 1200 IU of D3), a total of 5,200-7,200 IU per day.In the summer, I reduce my supplements to 2,000-4,000 international units per day and continue to use cod liver oil or Grass fermented cod liver oil.
Listen to the opinions of your body and the team of health clinicians you choose to guide you in choosing the level that suits you. I have some patients who just feel that the level is higher than 50ng/ml before seeing me (maybe due to other defects-see the end of this article) and others do not get better until they exceed this level. I think the best evidence today shows that for most adults, 35-70ng/ml is a wide range of safety.
These are exactly what I need to keep the level around 55-60 ng/ml. You may need a completely different quantity. It is best to test-this is usually covered by insurance, or you can order your own test kit online.
The best way to increase vitamin D
- summer: Expose your skin to direct sunlight (not through windows). The rule of thumb is that between about noon and 4 pm or when your shadow is shorter than you, 70% of your body needs 15-20 minutes of sunlight.
- winter: If you live above 35 degrees north latitude (Washington, D.C., 38 degrees near where I live), no matter how much sunlight you get, you may not make any vitamin D between October and March.
- Cod liver oil (I only recommend Carlson and Green Pasture-avoid most others).
- Wild seafood, especially fatty fish, caviar and oysters. I prefer VitalChoice.
- Eat mushrooms that are grown or dried in the sun.
- Vitamin D supplements (my favorite is Carlson A&D from cod liver oil with Enzyme Therapy Chocolate Chewable Tablets).
A word about vitamin D supplements
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It is important to know that vitamin D is a family of similar hormones. When you take vitamin D pills, you usually only get an isolated form. No supplement can completely replace the value of vitamin D through direct exposure to the sun and from vitamin D-rich foods.
Vitamin AD-K2 connection
The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K2) are fascinating, and they work together. This is another reason why I recommend getting vitamin D from food, because vitamin D greatly increases your need for vitamin A (retinol) and K2, as Dr. Chris Masterjohn clearly outlined.
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Most importantly, we now know that it is important to keep vitamin D in balance with the preformed vitamin A and vitamin K2. Fortunately, if you get premium fermented cod liver oil (containing a high-vitamin butter oil blend) from Green Pasture, you will get a natural balance. Another reason for not relying entirely on refined supplements.
They say you can’t fight the Fed, but you can fight the flu by optimizing your vitamin D!
What do you think?
How do you keep your vitamin D levels at their best? Tell us your best tips in the comments below!
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This article was originally published on November 23, 2020.
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source:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219962
- http://www.virologyj.com/content/5/1/29
- http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=414815#qundefined
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22264449
- http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/ButterCodLiverBlend/index.cfm
- http://www.fungi.com/blog/items/place-mushrooms-in-sunlight-to-get-your-vitamin-d.html
- http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/2012/01/22/new-evidence-of-synergy-between-vitamins-a-and-d-protection-against-autoimmune-diseases/
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