09/07/2021
Some tips for supporting your health in the fall and winter months.
After a long and hot summer, the fall season and cooler weather is upon us again. With the fall season comes wonderful fall foliage, pumpkins, football, shorter days and sometimes allergy season.
As the seasons change, our bodies have to adapt to the changing of the environment such as less Vitamin D as the sun goes down earlier. According to a national bureau of economic research study the researchers found that when a state receives more sunlight than normal in a typical month, the state tends to experience less influenza than normal.
While we may not always be able to control the amount of sun exposure we get, regular supplementation with Vitamin D may be advantageous. Vitamin D plays an important role in immune system health. There are vitamin D receptors that work by reducing levels of inflammatory proteins called cytokines. A British investigation published in 2017 concluded that taking Vitamin D supplements may help protect against colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London looked at data from 25 clinical trials that involved 11,000 patients from 14 countries and noticed a significant benefit.
Overall, the study found that the people who had the lowest Vitamin D levels and then took a Vitamin D supplement had half the incidence of colds, flu, and other respiratory infections than those with low vitamin D levels who took no supplement. There are varying opinions about what the optimal Vitamin D Level is, but most scientists and wellness professionals such as Dr Christiane Northrup state that the optimum level is between 50-100 ng/ml (4).
As with all time's of the year and especially when their are increased concerns for viruses and bacteria, it's always important to eat whole nutrient dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, healthy nuts and so forth while staying away from processed and sugar rich foods. Nutrient dense foods provide important vitamins and minerals that the body needs to support health. Whereas sugar rich and processed foods may cause inflammation in the body and deplete immune system function.
Additional nutrient support can be beneficial with Vitamin C and immune supporting mushrooms.