Vitamin D Deficiency is Why You Get the FLU!

This is amazing! Imagine taking a Vitamin D3 supplement (if you live in northern climates) to stave off the flu. Dr. Mercola's comments after this article explain it really well and tell you how to figure out how much to take. He also talks about another study that found that "school children who received supplemental vitamin D had far fewer incidents of both flu and asthma attacks".

Vitamin D Deficiency is Why You Get Flu

A new study has confirmed that vitamin D plays an important role in activating your immune defenses against infectious diseases like the flu.

Vitamin D deficiency has already been linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disease and many others.

The new study discovers that activation of T-cells to fight infections needs definite help from vitamin D. When a T cell recognizes foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses, it sends activating signals to the vitamin D receptor gene. The VDR gene then starts producing DVR protein, which binds vitamin D in the T cell. Then the vitamin D bound and activated DVR produces PLC-gamma1 protein -- which allows the T cell to get started fighting the infection.

Dr. John Cannell has also reported that vitamin D helps produce antibacterial peptides that help protect against the flu. That is why in winter, when there is little sunshine, people are more prone to vitamin D deficiency and getting infected with flu viruses.

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