Vitamin D: The "Antibiotic" Vitamin

We’ve all been told to take Vitamin C and Echinacea when we’re fighting a cold, but another important supplement that is often overlooked is Vitamin D. Mainly produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight, Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” and it has a vital role in bone health and calcium balance in the body. However, recent research shows that it also has an enormous role in the proper functioning of the immune system. Vitamin D has been shown to support the mechanisms of the innate immune system, which is the part of the immune system that responds first to a wide range of pathogens, including those involved in colds and flus. Many immune cells in the body have a Vitamin D receptor so that Vitamin D can bind to and assist these cells in various functions. It has been shown to aid in controlling inflammation in the body and to increase the production of antimicrobial peptides that our immune cells produce naturally. Because of the discovery that Vitamin D helps to fight infections by supporting the body’s own bacteria-killing mechanisms, Vitamin D has earned another name: the “antibiotic vitamin”. But unlike antibiotics, it is also effective against viruses because the peptides Vitamin D activates can interfere with viral function by damaging their structure.
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Studies demonstrate that Vitamin D deficiency is linked to greater numbers of infections and autoimmune diseases. Supplementation with Vitamin D helps to reduce the incidence of colds and flus and decreases the severity of the associated symptoms. People who experience the most benefit are those with a pre-existing Vitamin D deficiency and who start supplementation in the early fall before the cold and flu season begins. Vitamin D deficiency is a problem for many people, especially for those of us living on the West Coast where there is typically a lot of rain year round and little sunshine. It’s no surprise that cold and flu infections peak during the winter months when Vitamin D levels tend to be the lowest. Darker-skinned people living in the northern hemisphere are especially susceptible to Vitamin D deficiency because of the higher amount of the protective melanin pigment in their skin. Elderly people are also at risk of Vitamin D deficiency because the skin becomes less capable of producing Vitamin D with age. If you belong to these demographics or if you tend to get a lot of colds and flus, you may benefit from taking a Vitamin D supplement.