Concerned About the Tridemic? Vitamin D & Other Nutrients Could Help

The importance of vitamin D to help prevent and fight illnesses such as the respiratory infections that are becoming prevalent these winter months.

Key Points
An analysis found that, compared to those with vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/ml, 43% fewer of those with levels at or above 60 ng/ml experienced flu-like illnesses; higher vitamin D levels were associated with a dose-response decrease in flu risk with concentrations ≥40 ng/ml being most protective
A study on RSV in infants found that babies with cord blood vitamin D levels below 20 ng/ml were 6.2 times more likely to have an infection compared to babies with cord blood levels greater than or equal to 30 ng/ml
A review using data from a total of 38 studies and 207,587 patients found a 118% increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a 138% increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease, and a 135% increased risk of death due to COVID-19 among those with low vitamin D levels versus higher vitamin D levels

Are you concerned about the “Tridemic?” Did you know that when vitamin D is available in sufficient amounts, it is able to fulfill its multiple roles within the immune response that are especially influential in fighting respiratory infections, including the flu, RSV, and COVID? In fact, research has now shown that vitamin D has the ability to disrupt the function of 19 out of 27 (70%) SARS-CoV-2 proteins!

Read below about the important of vitamin D and other nutrients within the immune system, and how having higher vitamin D levels might help prevent and fight illnesses such as the respiratory infections that are becoming prevalent these winter months.

Flu Incidence and Vitamin D Levels

October is generally the month when we start to see an increase in cold and flu activity, with flu activity peaking between December and March. What might contribute to this pattern, and how might vitamin D factor into it? What can you do to decrease your chances of getting the cold or flu, or lessen its severity and symptoms if you do get it?

There are two basic reasons that contribute to increased flu activity in winter – 1, the influenza virus lives longer outside the human body when it is cold and dry, resulting in the flu season starting in late fall as cold air reduces the absolute humidity of the air, and 2, vitamin D levels tend to be lower in winter.

A GrassrootsHealth analysis showed that, compared to those with vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/ml, 43% fewer of those with levels at or above 60 ng/ml experienced flu-like illnesses. When adjusted for age and season, which were also significant predictors (P<0.05), those with levels at or above 60 ng/ml had a 27% lower risk of illness than those with levels less than 20 ng/ml (P=0.03). Higher vitamin D levels were associated with a dose-response decrease in flu risk with concentrations ≥40 ng/ml being most protective.

Click here to read the entire article from GrassrootsHealth.

SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can’t say in your tanning salon business.