VALDEZ, Janine V. Nov.

26, 2009
BSN 213

Vitamin D: A Supplement
That May Prevent Flu
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD
Published in November 2009

(HealthCastle.com) H1N1 flu cases are putting us on

guard. You've already added immune-boosting
foods like citrus, yogurt, and mushrooms to your diet.
But what aboutsupplements? You've heard about
Vitamins C and D, and zinc lozenges, so which ones
actually may prevent flu?

Vitamins Commonly Associated with Flu

• Vitamin C: A systematic review has found

evidence that high-dose Vitamin C reduces the duration of symptoms in
people with upper respiratory tract infections. However, not all studies
generated a similar result. Therefore, it is not generally recommended to
take Vitamin C supplements routinely, but you may try them with the
onset of a flu.

• Zinc: Zinc lozenges were very popular in the 1980s and 90s, but it turns
out they're a thing of the past. Scientists from the Pittsburgh Medical
Center conducted a review in 2007 of studies that investigated the
effectiveness of zinc. They found that only one study had shown benefits,
four subsequent studies showed no benefits, and four were biased.

• Vitamin D: This sunshine vitamin continues to surprise us. A 2007 study

found that subjects taking daily Vitamin D supplements were 3 times less
likely to report cold and flu symptoms. A higher dose (2000 IU/day),
given during the last year of the study, resulted in virtually no reports of
cold or flu symptoms.
Why You May Want to Give Vitamin D a Try

Last year, the American Pediatric Society doubled its Vitamin Drecommendation
to 400 IU daily for all kids from ages 1 to 18. However, the official
recommended Vitamin D requirement remains at 200 IU for adults aged 19 to
50. This level is low, compared to our neighbor north of the border. Canadians
are recommended to take 1000 IU of daily Vitamin D supplements during fall
and winter. This recommendation was made by the Canadian Cancer Society in
2007, after reviewing strong evidence about the anti-cancer properties of
Vitamin D.

The Bottom Line

Studies suggested that Vitamin D deficiency is a highly prevalent

condition, present in approximately 30% to 50% of the general
population. Some people may have low levels of Vitamin D – especially
those who wear sunscreen all the time or stay indoors often. Vitamin D
not only aids calcium absorption, it also demonstrates a strong
association with lowered cancer risk. And now, it may even be
suggested as an immune-booster!

Food, unfortunately, is not a good source of Vitamin D. Therefore, we

recommend Vitamin D supplements – particularly D3 supplements. In
addition, it is wise to start including more foods that contain Vitamin D,
like milk, fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified food products like yogurt
and breakfast cereals.