News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

A couple of years ago I was driving home and I heard a very well known radio talk show host talking about the benefits of vitamin D. What got my attention the most was that he was not selling any vitamin D. The more I listened, the more sense he made and the more intrigued I became. I listened and decided that I would do some research later, as it occurred to me that I really didn’t know that much about vitamin D.

Again about a year later, during the swine flu scare that we were hearing about, I caught another radio talk show and again, a different host with nothing to sell was talking about vitamin D. He reported that he has been taking vitamin D3 in amounts of 8000 IU daily for several years and has not had influenza in that entire period of time!

He was encouraging his listeners to take vitamin D3 instead of getting flu shots. I began to research for myself, and decided to begin taking vitamin D3 for myself. I encouraged my wife to do so also. That was two years ago, and neither me nor my wife have had the flu since we began taking two 5000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. Several of our friends and co-workers got sick both years, and we were exposed to these people daily, but not a flu like symptom occurred in either my wife or myself.

There is much medical information and research to back this up. In the publication ‘Healthy Nutrition’ the following was reported recently: “Several studies in U.S. and Canada, have found that using higher doses of vitamin D lowers the incidence and severity of influenza. Vitamin D protects the body by releasing antibiotics (antimicrobial peptides) affecting the immune system by: promoting phagocytosis (the consumption and destruction of particulate matter; such as, viruses), anti-tumor activity, and immunomodulatory functions. In other words, fine-tuning the immune system.

The best vitamin D for humans is found to be vitamin D3, cholecalciferol (from animal source). Vitamin D is the only vitamin that is also a hormone. It is also the only vitamin that does not need to be consumed in food or supplements. Exposure of our bodies to direct sunlight (not through a window or sunscreen), converts the cholesterol in our bodies to vitamin D3. (Lower your cholesterol with the sun).”

In another publication, ‘Medical News Today’ Dr. J.J. Cannell stated that during a flu outbreak, NONE of his patients, mostly elderly, got the flu. Dr. Cannell made this statement, “After finding out that all my patients had low levels, many profoundly low, I started educating them and offering to prescribe them 2,000 units of vitamin D a day, the U.S. government’s “Upper Limit.” Could vitamin D be the reason none of my patients got the flu?”

My own experience has taught me that yes for me, vitamin D3 has prevented both my wife and myself from contacting influenza. I strongly believe that D3 is the reason we have been free of flu the past two flu seasons.

With flu season fastly approaching again, I highly recommend that you try taking vitamin D3. I do not myself take flu shots. I would rather trust in the natural approach to influenza prevention, vitamin D3. If you decide this is something you would like to do, let me suggest you do what I do. I myself take vitamin D3 twice daily. I and my wife both take a 5000 IU capsule of D3 twice daily. You can find D3 at any good drug store, Walmart, or supermarket.

The flu: Many of us don’t realise just how big an impact it has on our daily lives. Every year, 1.5 million days of work are missed in Australia alone due to the flu. Indeed, workplaces across the country feel the pinch all the time as employees become ill with influenza; more than likely, you’ve been one of them. Below, you can learn a bit more about how the flu affects the workplace – and how flu vaccinations can help.

The Flu: A Significant Cause Of Sick Days:

Calling in sick for work can have major repercussions on the entire office. Not only do you have a lot of work to make up when you return, but those who remain during your absence must ignore some of their own duties to handle yours. Ten to twelve percent of sick days are caused by the flu, so it’s not surprising that employers are becoming more and more eager to provide the flu vaccination to their employees. If sick days could be cut by a decent percentage, workplaces all around Australia would notice a definite surge in productivity.

Working Ability Suffers When The Flu Strikes:

Many people try to soldier on when they come down with the flu, coming into work even though they are ill. If the flu is mild enough, this might seem reasonable; however, you are probably still contagious and your working ability is compromised. In turn, your productivity and overall capabilities are lessened by a considerable margin. In other words, you’ll not only be spreading the flu to your co-workers, but your output will be much less than it normally would be.  All in all, coming in to work while ill is not a smart move. Since a single sneeze travels at approximately 167 kph – and travels about five metres every 1/10th of a second – it’s easy to see why the flu spreads from employee to employee at such lightning fast speeds.

Reduce Sick Leave, Absenteeism and Diminished Work Abilities With The Flu Vaccine:

Workplace flu vaccine events are becoming more and more popular; if your workplace hasn’t held one yet, it probably will soon. By encouraging employees to receive the flu vaccine, employers can dramatically reduce the number of sick days that they usually incur. In turn, fellow employees won’t be burdened with sick employees’ work as frequently and productivity will remain at an even keel. Fewer employees will show up to work while under the weather, too, which means that more things will get accomplished in a reasonable and effective manner. All around, flu vaccinations are an excellent way to improve the workplace; if you haven’t received yours this year yet, then make sure you do soon.