Vitamin D and the Immune System page

[Funkadelic Flash]

Found a link that might be of interest to the health-conscious folks here:


http://www.physorg.com/news187187075.html


FTA:

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system - T cells - will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.

[Stabby]

Yeah I caught that one on nutritionfacts and mercola.com. Turns out.....vitamin d is needed for immune function!


Well no shit. I suppose it's nice to know how it is though. Still, from nothing but clinical results and statistics, the virtues of vitamin d have been known for a long time. Boy I'm sure those vitamin d deniers feel silly right about now.

[dfast]

I have never read any official studies on D supplementation - I started taking it after talking to others about it. I have not been sick once since I started (close to 7 months now). I usually get coughs and colds over the winter but did not this time round.


FWIW, I take 5,000IU of D3 a day, in liquid-gel form.

[FlyNavyWife]

I love my vitamin d. Started taking it when I got pregnant so I wouldn't get sick and have to medicate. Take 6000-8000iu daily and haven't been sick once other than a short bout of pregnancy rhinitis which isn't illness. Just body adjusting to preg hormones and increased blood volume and mucus.


Did I mention I am a nanny for two kids who have been sick constantly since November? I have had PLENTY of opportunity to catch a "bug."

[Grizz]

Vitamin D Crucial To Activating Immune Defenses

Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system – T cells - will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.

For T cells to detect and kill foreign pathogens such as clumps of bacteria or viruses, the cells must first be 'triggered' into action and 'transform' from inactive and harmless immune cells into killer cells that are primed to seek out and destroy all traces of a foreign pathogen.

The researchers found that the T cells rely on vitamin D in order to activate and they would remain dormant, 'naïve' to the possibility of threat if vitamin D is lacking in the blood. More here:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-vdc030410.php

There is an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency sweeping across our modern world,
and it's an epidemic of such depth and seriousness that it makes the H1N1 swine flu epidemic look like a case of the sniffles by comparison. Vitamin D deficiency is not only alarmingly widespread, it's also a root cause of many other serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.

A new study published in the March, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that a jaw-dropping 59 percent of the population is vitamin D deficient. In addition, nearly 25 percent of the study subjects were found to have extremely low levels of vitamin D.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Richard Kremer at the McGill University Health Center, said "Abnormal levels of vitamin D are associated with a whole spectrum of diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes, as well as cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders."

This new study also documents a clear link between vitamin D deficiency and stored body fat. This supports a theory I've espoused here on NaturalNews for many years: That sunshine actually promote body fat loss. Vitamin D may be the hormonal mechanism by which this fat loss phenomenon operates.

The research findings on vitamin D, by the way, get even better... More here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/z028357_v...eficiency.html

Grizz

[earthspirit]

I recently started taking vitD supp's (5000IU)...about 2 weeks ago...along with biotin because my prenatal's don't have that form of vitB, and I read that pregnant women can be quite deficient in it. Anyways, I feel great now tons of energy. I wear my poor husband out (who btw doesnt take supp's and doesnt follow PB unless I'm making dinner and we arent going out to eat)