Staying Ahead of Cold and Flu Season

It’s that time of the year again: cold and flu season. Easily one of the more unpleasant experiences to have during the fall, getting sick is surprisingly common and it simply doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of things we can do to prevent coming down with the cold or flu this year.

Washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face, nose, eyes or mouth can help prevent the spread of germs. Even sanitizing doorknobs, handles, keyboards, remotes, keys, and other items you frequently touch can help to keep the cold and flu contained…but what happens when those pathogens are introduced into the body?

Even if you’re prepared for flu season this year, others may not be quite as thoughtful when it comes to flu prevention. The average sneeze travels at approximately 100 miles per hour and carries over 100,000 germs a sneeze. With autumn on its way, now is the time to prime your immune system:

Vitamin A stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells and the endothelial cells that line the body’s interior surfaces which offer primary protection from illness and infection. In its pure form, Vitamin A can be toxic, but stored as Beta Carotene, the body will only convert and use what it needs. The remaining Beta Carotene works as an antioxidant in the body fighting free radicals. Vitamin A must be replaced daily, so make sure this is a part of your everyday regimen.

Vitamin C is well-known for its immunity benefits. Taking Vitamin C regularly can boost immunity, and people who take extra doses of Vitamin C report recovering from colds and the flu much faster than others. Even levels of 200 mg/day increase levels of immunoglobulin, which are proteins that act as disease-fighting antibodies. Vitamin C is often stored as Ascorbic Acid, which also increases the absorption of other vitamins you may be taking.

Vitamin D is best known as a precursor to calcium absorption and bone health, but the Harvard School of Public Health states that vitamin D also obstructs some of the damaging inflammatory response of some white blood cells. This can make a world of difference for those suffering swollen lymph nodes or raw, scratchy throats this cold and flu season. 

Not only can Vitamin E can also help support your body’s healing abilities, but it can also increase immunity response to pathogens. Studies by the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory preformed two separate studies around vitamin E supplementation. His first study found elderly patients who took vitamin E regularly were less likely to come down with colds or upper respiratory infections. The study was repeated again with young men as test subjects who also showed increased immune response.

Selenium is a trace mineral which is reduced into selenoproteins by the body. In this form, it can not only  supports cellular immune response and cell membrane health, but it can also aid the body facilitate antioxidant enzymes. This means selenium can play a substantial role in helping the body fight off pathogens and free radicals.

Regular amounts of zinc can help ensure your T-cells and other immune cells are able to function properly and defend the body. Zinc deficiency or zinc overdose can inhibit your immune response. Meeting your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) can help you avoid developing a deficiency of the trace element, zinc. 

All of these can be taken simply by using this here

by Explore Supplements

Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost: Study

Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost: Study:

"Adequate vitamin D levels are best achieved by supplements because of the side-effects of UV exposure, says the results of a new computer simulation model from the US."


Supplements beat sun for vitamin D boost:

Study By Stephen Daniells, 18-Jun-2010

Related topics: Research, Vitamins & premixes

Adequate vitamin D levels are best achieved by supplements because of the side-effects of UV exposure, says the results of a new computer simulation model from the US.

We can produce vitamin D in our skin on exposure to sunlight, but the merits of getting the supplement via sunlight or supplements is a source of ongoing debate.

In the US, where over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, experts are pushing supplements, claiming recommendations for sun exposure are "highly irresponsible".

Computer science

Scientists from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in Tromsø used a computer model to determine optimal sun exposure times to produce blood levels of vitamin D3 equivalent to 400 or 1000 IU of vitamin D.

The researcher chose two geographical sites – Miami, FL, and Boston, MA – for their simulation and selected four months – January, April, July, and October.

Data showed that in summer in Boston, people would need between three and eight minutes of sunlight exposure to about 25 per cent of their body surface to synthesise 400 IU of vitamin D. In winter, the simulation indicated that it would be difficult to produce any vitamin D in Boston. No such problems were calculated in Miami, however, with between three and six minutes needed to produce 400 IU at all times of the year.

“There are many limitations to these models, and clearly the estimates are only rough approximations,” said the researchers. “Although it may be tempting to recommend intentional sun exposure for a few minutes several times a week, cutaneous vitamin D synthesis is an intricate process and depends on numerous variables.

“Even in a simplified model such as the one used here, it can be seen to vary considerably by geography, season, and skin type. Furthermore, even if a more accurate and practical model were developed, titrating one’s own exposure to sunlight is difficult, if not impossible.

“Because of these practical difficulties combined with the detrimental side effects of UV exposure, we endorse the IARC assessment that even if it is ultimately demonstrated that increasing vitamin D levels impacts cancer and chronic disease, oral supplements of vitamin D would probably represent the safest way to increase vitamin D status,” concluded the researchers.

D details

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

An ever growing body of science supports the benefits of maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. In adults, it is said vitamin D deficiency may precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
June 2010, Volume 62, Issue 6, Pages 929.e1-929.e9
“Estimated equivalency of vitamin D production from natural sun exposure versus oral vitamin D supplementation across seasons at two US latitudes”
Authors: V. Terushkin, A. Bender, E.L. Psaty, O. Engelsen, S.Q. Wang, A.C. Halpern

Isotonix Vitamin D with K2