In 1849 cod liver oil—a rich source of vitamin D was used by some doctors in a study—to help 206 out of 234 patients recover from tuberculosis, as documented in the London Journal of Medicine at that time.
Dr. Auguste Rollier in 1903, used Traditional Naturopathy, sunlight therapy for patients with infectious diseases, leading to the creation of sanatoriums where TB patients received vitamin D through sunlight exposure. Many doctors during this time believed that sunlight killed the tuberculosis bacterium.
When your body doesn’t have enough vitamin D, your immune system can have a difficult time fighting off infections. Several studies have found that people with vitamin D deficiencies are more likely to experience upper respiratory infections (colds), influenza, and bacterial infections.
In winter months, people tend to bundle up against the cold and spend less time outdoors. Plus, people living in northern latitudes, which covers most of the US and Europe, can’t make vitamin D in winter months due to the angle of the sun relative to earth. The lower levels of vitamin D then make you more susceptible to catching a cold or flu or other respiratory illnesses we are seeing these days.
Vitamin D can help balance the immune system. In other words, it exerts immunomodulatory effects. This is important because when the immune system becomes overactive, it can attack your cells. When this happens, it’s called autoimmune disease. Research has found correlations between vitamin D deficiency and many autoimmune diseases.
Most people realize that the immune system is important for killing off infections. In addition to killing off harmful bacteria or viruses, studies indicate, your immune does play a role in helping to destroy cancer cells as well. Of course, cancer is exceptionally complicated, and this does NOT mean vitamin D is prevention or cure. Rather it shows that vitamin D plays an important role in the immune system, which we rely on to keep us healthy.
How to Get More Vitamin D
Ideally, you should get vitamin D naturally, from the sun, which is easier in the summer months. Aim for at least 15 minutes of direct sun-to-skin exposure every day. It’s not the sun that is the problem, it is overexposure and getting burnt or getting more sun than your skin can handle at any given time.
However, getting 15+ minutes of sun exposure simply isn’t possible or even practical sometimes. If you’re unable to get enough sun exposure, the next best option is getting it through your diet with wild-caught oily CLEAN fish or wild mushrooms, or via a nutritional supplement with the cofactors that help with absorption. Mushrooms are the only superfood source for D, making them an optimal, environmentally friendly source of vitamin D. Despite the information that the plant-based form of vitamin D is inferior to animal-based vitamin D, studies have found that both forms of vitamin D are equally effective. In addition to organic vitamin D, an ideal supplement should include the nutritional co-factors that optimize absorption. Mineral-rich greens provide the right balance of vitamin K, magnesium, and other nutrients your body needs to make the most of vitamin D. Since each person is unique and vitamin/ trace mineral ratios are important, you might want to consider a mineral tissue analysis to see what your ratios are and how much of what, you personally need. What are your D levels? Ask one of the health care practitioners at Bio Integrative Clinic what works best for you!
