An interesting article written by noted vitamin D expert Dr. John Cannell describes just how effectively the sunshine vitamin beats the flu. It describes, in part, how patients Dr. Cannell treated in the ward of a maximum-security hospital in which he worked escaped the flu because he had prescribed them 2,000 units of vitamin D every day for several months. These results led him to collaborate with other noted experts -- Harvard's Dr. Edward Giovannucci and Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University -- on a more extensive paper that connects the absence of vitamin D to disease.

Among the observations used to link the two:

• Why the annual flu problem peaks in the winter and disappears following the summer solstice.
• Why the flu occurs in tropical climates primarily during a rainy season.
• Why children who are exposed to more sunshine less likely to get colds.

Aside from getting the optimal dose of vitamin D through sunlight exposure, the article also discusses supplementation, a tricky thing because you run the serious risk of overdosing if you stay on a vitamin D supplement for any length of time. If you don't live in a part of the world where you can get the optimal amount of vitamin D through year-round sun exposure, I strongly recommend taking a high quality cod liver oil and monitor your blood levels carefully during the winter.

Epidemiology and Infection September 7, 2006

Medical News Today September 15, 2006