Is Vitamin D Good For Flu
iStockphoto
Vitamin D has been getting a lot of attention lately, with some studies suggesting that not getting enough may increase your risk of heart disease, cancer and other health problems. Earlier this year, a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to develop respiratory infections—including the flu.
Vitamin D plays a role in regulating the function of your immune system, so it makes sense that people with higher levels would be less prone to catch the flu, or more likely to get a milder case of it, explains WD health advisor John Pan, MD, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at George Washington University Medical Center. Unfortunately, most of us aren't getting enough. "Rarely do I have a patient with an optimal level, above 50 mg/dL," says Dr. Pan. (Your doctor can check your vitamin D levels with a simple blood test.) He says that most people need 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
Your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, but most of us don't spend ample time outdoors—especially in the winter. Since there are very few foods that contain vitamin D, a supplement is often the best option. (A daily pill containing about 1,000 IU is probably a safe bet for most people, but check with your doctor to be sure.)
And if you're already experiencing flu symptoms, a megadose of vitamin D could stop it from worsening. "I have personally tried the flu interruption protocol developed by Dr. Mercola [another alternative health expert], and it works."
How to do it: At the first sign of flu symptoms (sore throat, fever, etc.), take 1,000 IU of vitamin D per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you'd take 150,000 IU once daily for three days, says Dr. Pan. Short-term megadoses of D should be safe and can help combat vitamin D deficiency, but definitely don't do this for more than three days (too much D can cause dangerously high levels of calcium in your blood). And again, it's a good idea to run this by your own health care provider before trying it.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Source: https://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/womens-health/a4250/fighting-the-flu-vitamin-d-99467/
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar