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WebMD just posted an article regarding research on vitamin D levels and a particular “superbug,” clostridium difficile or C. diff, which causes severe diarrhea and death. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20100505/c-diff-may-be-worse-with-low-vitamin-d
C. Diff occurs primarily in people who have been taking broad-spectrum antibiotics that kill the friendly bacteria that would keep this superbug under control.
The author noted that 53% of the patients with “normal” levels of vitamin D were able to resolve the infection and then remain free of diarrhea after 30 days. In those with “low” vitamin D levels, only 26% resolved the infection and remained free of diarrhea after 30 days.
The researchers defined low vitamin D levels as 21 ng/ml, which is very low indeed, since a level of 32 is considered the lowest level for good health, and most scientists now recommend levels of about 60 ng/ml as optimal. I’m assuming that “normal” levels were considered to be anything over 21 ng/ml.
Vitamin D has been known for some time to be a potent antibiotic which breaks down the cell walls of both bacteria and viruses. However, it is not a “broad-spectrum” antibiotic—an antibiotic that kills not only the disease-causing pathogens—but also the friendly bacteria in the intestine that work to keep such pathogens at bay. Vitamin D recognizes only the foreign invader (pathogen) that can damage the body. Unfortunately, many pathogens develop resistance to antibiotic drugs, and the drugs cannot then kill the pathogen, which has a heyday because it is unopposed by the friendly bacteria that would normally thwart its action; hence, we have the term “superbug.”
Vitamin D works by stimulating the immune system’s army of cells such as T cells[1] and macrophages[2] to attack and destroy pathogens. There is no research I am aware of indicating that any pathogen develops a resistance to vitamin D. As antibiotics become less and less effective in fighting pathogens, optimal levels of vitamin D may become our last line of defense.
The WebMD article also points out that “Overall, 40% of the patients died during the month." A total of 67% of patients with low vitamin D levels died compared with 44% of those with normal vitamin D levels…” This indicates that the levels considered normal were not normal at all, and probably came nowhere near the optimal levels of 60 ng/ml.
And who is responsible for this loss of life? It is obviously the Powers of Darkness, those organizations that profit from teaching us that we should “protect” ourselves from any contact with sunlight or other sources of natural vitamin D production such as sun lamps. It behooves us to return to the habit of regular, non-burning sunlight exposure, such as sunbathing, preferably around midday. That certainly seems like a terrific alternative to death by diarrhea. Would you agree?
[1] von Essen MR, Kongsbak M, Schjerling P, Olgaard K, Odum N, Geisler C.. Vitamin D controls T cell antigen receptor signaling and activation of human T cells. Nat Immunol. 2010;11:344-49 .
[2] Kamen DL, Tangpricha V. Vitamin D and molecular actions on the immune system: modulation of innate and autoimmunity. J Mol Med 2010 May;88(5):441-50.
Showing posts with label immune system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immune system. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Vitamin D, Flu and the Immune System: Part 2
We now have the answer to preventing the next flu pandemic. This is the second part of the blog on flu. See the first for the background information.
Dr. John Cannell and his colleagues wrote a remarkable paper[1] showing that cold and flu outbreaks are almost completely seasonal. In the northern hemisphere, they occur in December through March. In the southern hemisphere, outbreaks occur June through September—almost exclusively in winter in both hemispheres. The outbreaks of flu and colds in each case occur in times of lowest UVB light and therefore the time of least vitamin D production. It follows then, that essential cathelicidin production is also extremely low during winter, which dramatically dampens the immune response. It would stand to reason, if the theory is correct, that flu and cold outbreaks would occur mainly in winter in both hemispheres. It also stands to reason that increasing vitamin D blood levels by supplementation would be able to reduce the incidence of colds and fly in winter. This is exactly the case.
Shortly after this paper’s publication, other researchers reported results of a three-year study of African-American women.[2] One group was given a placebo and another group received 800 IU per day for two years and 2,000 IU during the third year. The placebo group experienced three times as many cold and flu cases as those who received 800 IU. The 2,000-IU group had only one cold or flu case the entire year, and none in winter. The placebo group had 24 cases in winter—that is a 24:0 ratio!
These findings are especially important because flu shots are not very effective. A review in the British Medical Journal came to the following conclusion: “Evidence from systematic reviews shows that inactivated vaccines [flu shots] have little or no affect on the effects measured.”[3] Perhaps flu shots do save some lives, but there is little doubt that vitamin D does a profoundly better job. Considering that daily supplementation with 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D can cost as little as $10.00 per year, a tremendous financial burden could be lifted from the health-care system and from the budget of elderly persons!
Approximately 36,000 people die yearly from flu in the USA, and it is estimated that a pandemic similar to the one in 1918 could kill a billion people worldwide. It simply does not need to happen. The solution: maintain higher vitamin D levels. This can be done during winter by vitamin D3 supplementation of at least 2,000 IU, and as much as 5,000 IU per day in the absence of UVB exposure. Do not use vitamin D2; it is not nearly as effective.
The flu season is upon us. This year, work to maintain adequate vitamin D levels and kiss the flu goodbye!
[1] Cannell, J. et al. Epidemic Influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect 2006;134:1129-40.
[2] Aloia, J. et al. Colds and Flu. Letter to the editor. Epidemiol Infect Jan 15, 2007.
[3] Jefferson, T. et al. Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence. BMJ. 2006;333::912-15.
Dr. John Cannell and his colleagues wrote a remarkable paper[1] showing that cold and flu outbreaks are almost completely seasonal. In the northern hemisphere, they occur in December through March. In the southern hemisphere, outbreaks occur June through September—almost exclusively in winter in both hemispheres. The outbreaks of flu and colds in each case occur in times of lowest UVB light and therefore the time of least vitamin D production. It follows then, that essential cathelicidin production is also extremely low during winter, which dramatically dampens the immune response. It would stand to reason, if the theory is correct, that flu and cold outbreaks would occur mainly in winter in both hemispheres. It also stands to reason that increasing vitamin D blood levels by supplementation would be able to reduce the incidence of colds and fly in winter. This is exactly the case.
Shortly after this paper’s publication, other researchers reported results of a three-year study of African-American women.[2] One group was given a placebo and another group received 800 IU per day for two years and 2,000 IU during the third year. The placebo group experienced three times as many cold and flu cases as those who received 800 IU. The 2,000-IU group had only one cold or flu case the entire year, and none in winter. The placebo group had 24 cases in winter—that is a 24:0 ratio!
These findings are especially important because flu shots are not very effective. A review in the British Medical Journal came to the following conclusion: “Evidence from systematic reviews shows that inactivated vaccines [flu shots] have little or no affect on the effects measured.”[3] Perhaps flu shots do save some lives, but there is little doubt that vitamin D does a profoundly better job. Considering that daily supplementation with 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D can cost as little as $10.00 per year, a tremendous financial burden could be lifted from the health-care system and from the budget of elderly persons!
Approximately 36,000 people die yearly from flu in the USA, and it is estimated that a pandemic similar to the one in 1918 could kill a billion people worldwide. It simply does not need to happen. The solution: maintain higher vitamin D levels. This can be done during winter by vitamin D3 supplementation of at least 2,000 IU, and as much as 5,000 IU per day in the absence of UVB exposure. Do not use vitamin D2; it is not nearly as effective.
The flu season is upon us. This year, work to maintain adequate vitamin D levels and kiss the flu goodbye!
[1] Cannell, J. et al. Epidemic Influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect 2006;134:1129-40.
[2] Aloia, J. et al. Colds and Flu. Letter to the editor. Epidemiol Infect Jan 15, 2007.
[3] Jefferson, T. et al. Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence. BMJ. 2006;333::912-15.
Vitamin D, the Immune System and the Yearly Outbreaks of Flu
This year, kiss the flu goodbye!
Vitamin D boosts the immune system and enhances the body’s ability to kill bacteria or viruses—intercellular invaders—that make their way into body cells. When a mechanism known as a toll-like receptor (TLR) recognizes the invaders, it causes direct anti-germ activity by stimulating the action of peptide proteins that bind to and kill viruses, bacteria and fungi.[i] [ii] [iii]
The peptides are called cathelicidins, and they do their work by breaking down the cell walls of viruses and bacteria.[iv] The gene that turns on cathelicidin is a direct target of vitamin D. Therefore, it is vitamin D that triggers the action of cathelicidins against all of these “invaders, [v] including the viruses that cause flu and colds.
It is important to understand that ultraviolet B light (UVB) is the wave length of sunlight that, when it contacts the skin, stimulates the skin to produce vitamin D. The skin does not produce any vitamin D unless UVB is available. UVB, plentiful in summer sunshine, is filtered out in winter at high latitudes because of the sun’s position in the southern sky (northern sky in the southern hemisphere). This is called “vitamin D winter.” Blood vitamin D levels, therefore, become very low in winter unless some other method is used to keep them at desirable levels. So what does all this have to do with flu and colds? I will post the answer in my next blog.
[i] Zhang, L. et al. Contribution of Human -Defensin 1, 2, and 3 to the Anti-HIV-1 Activity of CD8 Antiviral Factor. Science 2002;298:995-1,000.
[ii] Wang, T. et al. Cutting edge: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a direct inducer of antimicrobial peptide gene expression. J Immunol 2004;173:2909-12.
[iii] Herr, C. et al. The role of cathelicidin and defensins in pulmonary and inflammatory diseases. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007;7:1449-61.
[iv] Liu, P. et al. Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response. Science 2006;311:1770-73.
[v] Gombart, A. et al. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene is a direct target of the vitamin D receptor and is up-regulated in myeloid cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. FASEB J 2005;19:1067-77.
Vitamin D boosts the immune system and enhances the body’s ability to kill bacteria or viruses—intercellular invaders—that make their way into body cells. When a mechanism known as a toll-like receptor (TLR) recognizes the invaders, it causes direct anti-germ activity by stimulating the action of peptide proteins that bind to and kill viruses, bacteria and fungi.[i] [ii] [iii]
The peptides are called cathelicidins, and they do their work by breaking down the cell walls of viruses and bacteria.[iv] The gene that turns on cathelicidin is a direct target of vitamin D. Therefore, it is vitamin D that triggers the action of cathelicidins against all of these “invaders, [v] including the viruses that cause flu and colds.
It is important to understand that ultraviolet B light (UVB) is the wave length of sunlight that, when it contacts the skin, stimulates the skin to produce vitamin D. The skin does not produce any vitamin D unless UVB is available. UVB, plentiful in summer sunshine, is filtered out in winter at high latitudes because of the sun’s position in the southern sky (northern sky in the southern hemisphere). This is called “vitamin D winter.” Blood vitamin D levels, therefore, become very low in winter unless some other method is used to keep them at desirable levels. So what does all this have to do with flu and colds? I will post the answer in my next blog.
[i] Zhang, L. et al. Contribution of Human -Defensin 1, 2, and 3 to the Anti-HIV-1 Activity of CD8 Antiviral Factor. Science 2002;298:995-1,000.
[ii] Wang, T. et al. Cutting edge: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a direct inducer of antimicrobial peptide gene expression. J Immunol 2004;173:2909-12.
[iii] Herr, C. et al. The role of cathelicidin and defensins in pulmonary and inflammatory diseases. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007;7:1449-61.
[iv] Liu, P. et al. Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response. Science 2006;311:1770-73.
[v] Gombart, A. et al. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene is a direct target of the vitamin D receptor and is up-regulated in myeloid cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. FASEB J 2005;19:1067-77.
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