helping to prevent teh flu

[Fairweather]

A new study has confirmed that vitamin D plays an important role in activating your immune defenses against infectious diseases like the flu.

Vitamin D deficiency has already been linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disease and many others. The new study discovers that activation of T-cells to fight infections needs definite help from vitamin D. When a T cell recognizes foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses, it sends activating signals to the vitamin D receptor gene. The VDR gene then starts producing DVR protein, which binds vitamin D in the T cell. Then the vitamin D bound and activated DVR produces PLC-gamma1 protein -- which allows the T cell to get started fighting the infection. Dr. John Cannell has also reported that vitamin D helps produce antibacterial peptides that help protect against the flu. That is why in winter, when there is little sunshine, people are more prone to vitamin D deficiency and getting infected with flu viruses.

 

"When a T cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signaling device or 'antenna' known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D," said Carsten Geisler of Copenhagen University's department of international health, immunology and microbiology, who led the study.

 

"This means the T cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease. If the T cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even begin to mobilize."

 

"What we didn't realize is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system -- which we know now," Geisler wrote in the study in the journal Nature Immunology.

 

+AND+2010[pdat]+AND+geisler[author]&cmd=detailssearch"] American Journal of Clinical Nutrition March 10, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]

Nature Immunology March 7, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]

Reuters March 7, 2009

[Windex]

Right on!

 

-American's as a whole are dumb.. We are manipulated into buying food to satisfy hunger, not to meet our nutritional goals... I'm very happy with my decision to cook 6 days a week instead of eating out.. I can make sure I get a well rounded diet that way.. I must admit I'm guilty of not taking multi-vitamins or anything on a regular basis but I don't see any point in them, our ancestors never took them? lol

Edited July 14, 2010 by Windex

[mohawk]

good post..

 

start with 1000 to 2000 IU a day and work your way up to 4000 IU.. you can often find 1000 IU softgels at cvs / rite-aid / walgreens on sale buy one get one free

[lousiest]

Never associated vit D with disease prevention. Good to know

[Fairweather]

Never associated vit D with disease prevention. Good to know

 

the research coming out on vitamin D more recently has been showing it plays a major role in multiple disease prevention, its being found to have beneficial properties in almost every cell of your body and influences over 3000 genes

[ValenAlvern]

I love the flu, the worlds equalizer for stupid people. Like the news, because the Bird/Pig Flu was SOOO much deadlier than the normal flu... even though the normal flu already kills thousands more a year.

[JackieChan]

I love the flu, the worlds equalizer for stupid people. Like the news, because the Bird/Pig Flu was SOOO much deadlier than the normal flu... even though the normal flu already kills thousands more a year.

New things scare people...be it something they've never seen/heard of before, or...a flu with a different name so it sounds new.

[ValenAlvern]

I love the flu, the worlds equalizer for stupid people. Like the news, because the Bird/Pig Flu was SOOO much deadlier than the normal flu... even though the normal flu already kills thousands more a year.

New things scare people...be it something they've never seen/heard of before, or...a flu with a different name so it sounds new.

You heard of a disease called stab wounds? Its killing thousands a day... a day!