Vitamin D and Seasonal Flu
Top 10 Why the Flu Questions
When looking at vitamin D and seasonal flu outbreaks, nobody is asking why? Even the H1N1 pandemic, the Why is one question that tends to be overlooked.
In researching the Why question, turns out there are numerous whys that science has not been able to answer.
Here are the top 10 Why the flu is such an unusual disease. Unusual unlike any other disease. In the why questions you may find the answer to not being a victim of the flu.
The British epidemiologist, Edgar Hope-Simpson asked the why question. He developed a theory as to why the flu does not follow the patterns of traditional infectious diseases.
Vitamin D and Seasonal Flu
Since then, others have asked the why question about the flu. Below you will find the top 10 whys from a 2008 paper titled, On the Epidemiology of Influenza.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Glutathione Deficiency
The current theory is that the flu may be secondary to vitamin D insufficiency. Consider, why is it that the flu outbreaks increase when there is a decrease in sun exposure?
Since vitamin D from the sun or D3 supplementation is a precursor of glutathione, how does it protect us from the flu? Other cofactors like zinc and selenium no-doubt play a part in the big picture. Put the pieces together and you may never get sick from the flu ever again.
Or if you do, it may be so inconsequential that you will hardly know your even sick. At least that is what one study on the H1N1 from a few years ago had to say with the study group that built up their glutathione levels using NAC.
Important to Note: Vitamin D supplements may do more harm than help. Do not think that just supplementing will help. Make sure and read the vitamin D supplement warning study. It is essential that you take D3 and you take vitamin K2 so that it is properly used by your body.
Top 10 Why Questions About Vitamin D and Seasonal Flu
1) Why are flu outbreaks both seasonal (when there is reduced sun exposure) and found everywhere?
2) Where is the flu in-between outbreaks?
3) Why do flu epidemics start so sudden and dramatically?
4) Why do they end suddenly and unexpectedly?
5) Why is the typical interval between outbreaks obscure?
6) Why is the secondary infection rate so low?
7) Why does the flu coincidentally brake out in epidemics in countries in similar latitudes?
8) Why have other flu epidemics in history spread so rapidly, even with out the availability of modern transport?
This has always puzzled me. Today if the H1N1 wants to travel from, say Texas to New York, it only has to travel with a human that is hopping on a jet and it can make the journey in several hours. In history, travel was much slower, taking weeks or even months. Yet outbreaks happened much faster than the typical travel times of the eras.
9) Why does experimental inoculation of seronegative humans fail to cause illness in all the volunteers?
And the top, biggest why question about the flu......(drum roll please)
10) Why has influenza mortality of the aged not declined as their vaccination rates increased?
The study above reviews the vitamin D connection.
The conclusion was the seasonal vitamin D effect and some of us are just good infectors.
Vitamin D and Seasonal Flu: The Theory
If their theory is true, the first conclusion requires increasing vitamin D levels from sun exposure or D3 supplementation. This does not address the studies that show that vitamin D is a precursor of glutathione. Glutathione is one of the main immunity booster and viral / bacteria protectors our body has.
It also does not consider the potential inherent danger with food additive vitamin D2.
Vitamin D2 and Seasonal Flu Supplement Warning
Vitamin D2 Problem Discoveries is a Bio Essay. It "explores how lifelong supplementation of the food chain with vitamin D might well be contributing to the current epidemics of obesity and chronic disease."
What, if a little is good, more is not better? The vitamin D (not really a vitamin at all) is in a lot of foods as an additive. Now the producers of those foods can claim their foods help prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D, and especially vitamin D2 is an immunomodulatory secosteroid. However, they don't, at least according to the research.
Immunomodulatory means alter the immune function, which in this case is an immune suppression or decreasing immunity.
Secosteroid means that vitamin D is like a steroid but slightly altered. A question to ask: What happens when we overdose on vitamin D2?
Bottom Line Vitamin D2 actually causes you to lose vitamin D according to the British Journal of Nutrition. This can result in weight gain and bone related issues.
The risk of overdosing vitamin D3 however, even consuming as much as 8,000 IU's a day, is unlikely. Also, since the safety of vitamin D is related to vitamin K2 intake.
In the British Journal of Nutrition 2012 Jul 11:1-7, it was reported.....
>Long-term vitamin D3 supplementation is more effective than vitamin D2 in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status over the winter months.There are two more factors that are being left out of this information. We also need vitamin K2 to help balance the D3 and how much D3 we need to supplement is related to our overall weight.
The best way to optimize your vitamin D levels in your body is by working with your doctor. Have him take the 25 OH D blood test. Then either get exposure to the sun and/or supplement D3 in an amount of between 5,000-40,000 IU and take 150 mcg of K2 and or eat organic fermented foods high in vitamin K2. Then repeat the blood level test once you have been supplementing for a few months.
The Best Vitamin D Source
The sun is the best source, depending on the time of year and your skin color. However, to get the this vitamin from the sun, you need to be well hydrated. As we report on another page, young people who spend a lot of time on the beach in Hawaii were still low in their vitamin D. Why? Our theory is that it relates to their hydration status. Simply drinking water will not hydrate you, rather, it dehydrates. You must take electrolytes to keep the water inside the cells to do its work.
WaterCures.org has more on this and how to do it.
Sources of Vitamin D starts with the sun and looks at the food sources and many benefits of vitamin D.
But before you go to the sources of D, one more thing...
The Vitamin D Glutathione Flu Connection
There is one more thing. Vitamin D promotes glutathione production. All of the benefits of vitamin D are also the very same benefits that studies show result from boosting our intracellular glutathione.
One study even found a benefit with the flu. Not just any brand of flu. It helped those with H1N1.
When you go to this link, the first study looked at the H5N1.
The second study looks at the H1N1 and said that boosting glutathione is a viable way to protect, well everyone.
The Glutathione Swine Flu Protection Connection has the Flu Glutathione Protection Study.
As always, do not change your medicine routines with out talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
There is a new vitamin D and seasonal flu or related paper published every day. We will try to keep updated on this throughout the flu season.
Is there something related to vitamin D and seasonal flu we have missed. Please drop us a line and let us know. We always like to hear from our visitors.
The Glutathione Diet lists the foods that help boost immunity.
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The Way to Make More GSH For Free
Glutathione has a high affinity for water. Simply put, if we are dehydrated our bodies may not make as much as they could. Or, what we do make may be less effective.
Usually there is something more than just being dehydrated. Often there is a condition called fluid and electrolyte imbalance, less than bodies needs. There is a simple, easy and inexpensive way to correct this, allowing your body to produce even more GSH.
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