Vitamin D and Immune Health

Now that we are into fall, it’s a good time to think about vitamin D. Our beach days are sadly fading behind us for the year as most of us live in areas with moderately cold winters. With decreased sunshine comes a decreased opportunity for our bodies to create vitamin D, meaning we need to find ways to receive vitamin D through our diet.

Vitamin D has been the subject of much research. In a recent study, researchers tested the idea of using vitamin D to boost the immune system. They measured the vitamin D levels in the blood of 247 children living in an extremely cold climate with limited exposure to sunlight.

Researchers divided the children into two groups. Half received milk fortified with 300 international units (IU) of vitamin D and half received non fortified milk. After three months, the children who upped their vitamin D intake had half as many colds as those who remained severely deficient. This is just one study that shows that vitamin D is an immune booster.

 Here are some tips to help ensure you're getting enough of the sunshine vitamin, even when the weather gets cold:

•      Talk to your doctor about supplementation. The recommended daily value of vitamin D is 400 IU, but doctors may recommend supplementing with more.

•      Eat vitamin D rich foods. Fish, cheese and fortified foods all have vitamin D in small doses. Many cereals and brands of milk are fortified with vitamin D, so this is a great option if you want to avoid taking supplements.

For more details on how vitamin D helps support your immune system click here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

Denise Boyd, BSc, Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RNH) with a specialization in Cognitive and Immune Support.