Vitamin D: a secret ingredient to strong immune health this flu season
As we come into autumn, ahead of the cold and flu season, it is a good moment to reflect on our health, particularly our immune health – how our body fights infection.
A healthy lifestyle goes a long way to preventing colds and flus by giving our body what it needs to maintain a strong immune system. It is also important to understand that our immune system evolves as we age, so we need to make changes that will support specific requirements to suit the the various stages throughout our life.
The role of Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin
A lot of people know the importance of Vitamin D for bone health, but they do not realise that it also plays a really important role in our immune system function. Emerging scientific evidence supports the importance of Vitamin D in the body’s response in resolving and reducing the risk of developing acute respiratory tract infections. It is an essential micronutrient that is involved in so many of our body functions but many of us are not getting enough of it. 30% of Australian adults are classified as having mild, moderate or even severe vitamin D deficiency.
Why we’re not getting enough vitamin D
Getting to sufficient levels of Vitamin D in the body can be challenging due to the main source being direct exposure to sunlight and other sources, such as foods, being limited. People are typically spending more time indoors for several reasons. Longer working hours and night shifts have a big impact, but many people are simply concerned about going outdoors more than they must amid a global pandemic. For those who are going outdoors, there is also the need to be sun safe to reduce the risk of skin cancer. In a sunny country like Australia, it is important that people cover up with a hat, clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen, but covering up also means less vitamin D from the sun.
What we can do to boost vitamin D
A daily dose of sunshine when UV levels are low - early mornings and late afternoons – can help improve vitamin D levels. For people who cannot get outside or do not absorb vitamin D as easily, vitamin D supplementation can be beneficial and boost levels to the optimal amount and quickly.
Not all Vitamin D is created equal
There are a lot of different types of vitamin D and it can be helpful to know what to look for. Most vitamin D supplements (D2 and D3) can take months to get absorbed into your system whereas calcifediol, the common form of Vitamin D in the body which is now also available as a dietary supplement, is faster acting and will improve Vitamin D levels in days to weeks instead of months.
It is a surprise to many that there is limited vitamin D that we get from our diet. Vitamin D can be found in eggs, fatty fish and milk but we normally don’t get sufficient amounts of it. And it takes a lot discipline in maintaining a well-balanced diet every day. That is why sunshine and vitamin D supplements are the best ways to top up and maintain vitamin D levels in our bodies.
With a strong and healthy immune system, maintained by vitamin D and a healthy lifestyle, including good food, exercise and low levels of stress, you can give your body the best chance to stay one step ahead of this year’s cold and flu season.