Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

I'm beginning this topic in light of the emerging literature on the now undeniable link between healthy vitamin d blood serum levels and susceptibility to influenza. In fact, it is so relevant to this whole forum that it deserves a whole thread unto itself. Personally, I have lot's to say on the subject and hope we can keep things to a respectful tone as per WOTAN wishes regarding his earlier reminder of the rules.

Numerous studies link Vitamin D and influenza, as well as Vitamin D and respiratory infections more generally. This vitamin up-regulates genetic expression of various endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMP), which exhibit broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Reports discussed below indicate that susceptibility to influenza is reduced with higher levels of sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation. Seasonal variation of vitamin D levels in humans can help explain the seasonality of flu epidemics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D_and_influenza

1) Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, et al. (December 2006). "Epidemic influenza and vitamin D". Epidemiol. Infect. 134 (6): 1129–40. doi:10.1017/S0950268806007175. PMID 16959053.
2) Cannell JJ, Zasloff M, Garland CF, Scragg R, Giovannucci E (2008). "On the epidemiology of influenza". Virol. J. 5: 29. doi:10.1186/1743-422X-5-29. PMID 18298852.
3) Shaman J, Kohn M (March 2009). "Absolute humidity modulates influenza survival, transmission, and seasonality". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106 (9): 3243–8. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806852106. PMID 19204283.
4) Smiley DF. Seasonal factors in the incidence of the acute respiratory infections. Am J Hyg 1926;6:621-6, p. 626
5) Termorshuizen F, Wijga A, Gerritsen J, Neijens HJ, van Loveren H (October 2004). "Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and respiratory tract symptoms in 1-year-old children". Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 20 (5): 270–1. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0781.2004.00110.x. PMID 15379879.

Vitamin D can potentially play a significant role in prevention of influenza, given a well demonstrated link between vitamin D deficiency and the incidence of respiratory infections. The diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency is straight-forward, cheap and without substantial risk. Thus, physicians should make an effort to diagnose and adequately treat vitamin D deficiency to prevent influenza recurrence. Given what is known about vitamin D and influenza, many contend that the problem of vitamin D deficiency should be considered an important public health issue (my emphasis)

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I post my opinions, they may or may not differ from accepted officialdom, but they ARE protected under free speech. Please consult your doctor (or your own mind) should you choose to take this information further.

Well, actually there have been 5 threads on Vitamin D as subject--but that's only been since last month.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I admittedly joined only last week and have not seen any. I'll try to locate them and see how in depth they went. In light of how important the subject is, I see no harm in revisiting it, if we are bringing new things to the table.

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I post my opinions, they may or may not differ from accepted officialdom, but they ARE protected under free speech. Please consult your doctor (or your own mind) should you choose to take this information further.

LOL - I know I started one, but I lost it
Perhaps we can keep this one going. But GAGuide - you and I share something in common in regards to Vitamin D. You seem CONVINCED it works, but I want to make it clear that while I lean heavily towards Vitamin D as yet another arsenal in our toolbag to fight influenza - my primary goal is to have it PROVEN. I have tirelessly pushed out every bit of data I can find on the subject for a long time, and in many different forums and mediums. I am almost livid at the WHO/CDC that they are not collecting Vitamin D serum level data from serious hospitalization/fatality cases. Of course I think there are also MANY other things they should be collecting data on, but that is for other threads.

But If I'm going to post on this thread - you need to pick a subject and stick to it please. I think the original title "Vitamin D and Influenza" should be sufficient, and let us simply collect and throw out data, and a few hypothesis to help guide the discussion.

And I think this subject should stand on it's own, and not drag vaccine preferences into the mix, or anything else that is going to make the topic look like it is run by conspiracy nuts, or anything that is going to get the thread locked & posts deleted, just because someone with the power to do so - does so, because they might disagree. And I will let that stand as my mild rebuke for the over-reaction that just occured on a separate thread. Good and honest data was removed, when it should have been simply a few offending posts.

Maybe someone ambitious can consolidate the threads or at least the info?


I know I started one too, but it was probably last summer.

Mountain Voice,

Thank you for your post. I am a relative newbie to this forum and it did take me time to learn (and abide ) by the rules. I'm dedicated to keeping this ON topic regarding the post's title.

I'm part of a vitamin d study myself through an organization called grassrootshealth. It is year one of a five year study. The results will apparantly be published in a journal. I'm trying to do my bit for humanity !

Regarding vitamin d production through sun exposure :One thing that I don't see mentioned yet on previous vitamin d forums is a simple test one can do that will help you determine if you can produce vitamin d or not at your latitude and time of year wherever you might happen to live. Dr. John Cannell, a leading researcher on the subject, says that if you stand out in the sun and your shadow is LONGER than you, you really can't produce much, if at all, vitamin d. If it is shorter than you, then you can and do produce vitamin d.

Many, many factors remain in terms of dosage, time exposed, cloud cover, ozone levels, pigmentation etc etc the list is long but I thought this was a neat, simple to do experiment everyone can perform. I happen to live in the South Carolina at a latitude of around 34 degrees north. This is right at about the thresh-hold of year round vitamin d production (perhaps I'm still a little too far north actually).

Too much of anything is a bad thing of course. I would only ever advocate sun exposure at SAFE levels which are different for all of us dependant upon many factors. I can explain later.

Getting your d levels first tested through a 25Hydroxy test is an absolute must if you wish to pursue supplementation and/or sun exposure to raise your levels and possibly help prevent influenza infection. Vitamin d is NOT a magic bullet but it IS something YOU can control.

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I post my opinions, they may or may not differ from accepted officialdom, but they ARE protected under free speech. Please consult your doctor (or your own mind) should you choose to take this information further.

A presentation of some fairly solid evidence of vitamin D3 efficacy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0&feature=player_embedded

Almost 1 Hour Long. I've never seen this one. SOLID science. And Hollick has to be one of the best presenters I've seen. Very good slideshows, humor - really keeps you interested, but as mentioned - sticks to SOLID science. When I clicked in and saw it was an hour long, I figured I'd watch a few minutes. An hour later, here I am. The 1st part is just flat out hilarious at times (Homer Simpson animated viusal explanations etc...), but after a while I realized I should be writing down some placemarks. Below are just a few time markers in case anyone want to jump to a specific topic. Times are approximate.

18/19:00 minutes - sunshine at latitudes
22:50 minutes is Obesity correlation
23:5 starts again on sunlight
24:5 - black/white correlation
25:5 - suggested range / normal range
27:20 - charts on health deficiency / racial discussion
* awesome few minutes
38:00 - toxicity vs benefit
41:00 - cancer reduction
43:00 - psoriasis
46:00 - efficient marketing LOL very funny
49:00 - D & Cancer
50:00 - Immune System
51:30 - Seasonal Flu Explanation of Summer/Winter cycles

I would say that before anyone start opening their mouths trivializing Vitamin D research, they take the time to watch this video 1st. It isn't the beginning / end of the discussion, but I cannot imagine anyone walking away from this without some respect for the topic.

That is an interesting video. I'm about half way done. I had never worried about my vitamin D levels because I'm extremely pale and burn in less than 15 min. I use to drink a ton milk until I gave birth to my son. He was milk, soy and corn intolerant and I was nursing and gave up my milk. I noticed one of the things they talked about was periodontal disease and I had been having issues with bleeding gums and my dentist and doctor couldn't figure out why. I had noticed the bleeding improve when I increased my vitamin D intake to help with the flu. We still all got it but my DH was the best off and he was working outside 4-5 hours a day. My daughter was sick the longest and she would have gotten the second highest level of sun exposure so something else is at work besides vitamin D.