Summer is now behind us. Bad weather, instability and continuous temperature changes are the protagonists of this transition period. And they put our health at risk.
To defend the body from autumn viruses there is a valid ally: vitamin D. Numerous studies have shown that, in addition to being an essential nutrient for maintaining healthy bones, it has a beneficial action on the immune system.
Activate the defense system
A research conducted by a team of experts from the Department of Immunology of the University of Copenhagen, has revealed that vitamin D is essential in activating the mechanisms of immune response, as it is necessary to activate the reaction of T cells.
They are cells of the body’s defense system that attack viruses and bacteria by activating a series of processes to destroy them.
According to Danish researchers, whose research was published in Nature Immunology, T cells need adequate levels of vitamin D to transition from “dormant” to active state.
In fact, when a T cell is exposed to a pathogen, a signaling device, known as a vitamin D receptor, is activated with which it tries to detect vitamin D.
In practice, T cells need vitamin D to be able to do their job. And if they can’t find enough in their blood, they don’t even start mobilizing.
More effective than vitamin C?
In the collective imagination, vitamin C is the most useful when the bad season is approaching to prevent flu ailments.
However, analyzing data from a large national screening, US researchers found that high levels of vitamin D in the body reduce the incidence of respiratory infections such as colds and flu. The results of the survey were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Put simply, experts from the University of Colorado and Boston School of Medicine have observed that those who, for reasons essentially related to dietary lifestyles, have plasma levels of vitamin D in their blood below 10 nanograms per milliliter are exposed to a 40 percent higher risk of getting a viral infection of the respiratory tract than those who had more (over 30 ng/mL).
The assumption from which the experts started is very simple: in the winter season there is an increase in colds and flu. In addition to the arrival of new viruses, the reduced possibility of exposure to the sun and therefore of reduced skin synthesis of vitamin D could also play a negative role.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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