Talk about health

The question is about whether sufficient doses of vitamin D will help prevent colds and flu. There is logic in the argument for it, based on the fact that vitamin D levels in the body mirror the incidence of colds and flu. And if you take a moment to think about it, it's probably true.

In the autumn, vitamin D levels drop at the same time as colds and flu take hold. In winter vitamin D is at its lowest and flu reaches a peak. Then, comes springtime and vitamin D rises agin as flu decreases until summer comes and vitamin D peaks while colds and flu reach their lowest rate.

I read this discussion on a vitamin D site so there is a certain single mindedness about it, despite its truth. What they are saying relates to your immune system as well as vitamin D. So, you could argue that the answer is more about making sure the immune system is in the best of order.

Since the research has been done with reference to vitamin D, the conclusion is to try to maintain your vitamin D levels at a summer high all the year round. In summer, exposing your skin to sunshine stimulate your skin to produce vitamin D. And this, along with some dietary sources such as fish, eggs, milk and green vegetables gives a maximum vitamin D count.

As the seasons change, and as you get further away from the equator, the amount of sunshine deteriorates and the skin production falls significantly, even if you are regularly out of doors.

The dietary sources take over and supplements may be needed to keep levels up. Fish oil and cod liver oil are the most popular, while multiviatmin and mineral supplements help, too.

But, there are two other factors you need to think about. One is having a flu jab to boost your resistance to flu. You may see this a a simple, one-off answer. A painless injection in the autumn will tive you the necessary strength to fight off flu. Or will it?

A recent article in the Lancet reviewed the evidence and came to the conclusion that the flu jabs at best show a modest improvement in flu prevention. After all these years of extolling the percieved benefits of immunisation against the flu and the benefits are only modest!

You have to askif the programme of flu injections is worh the time and money if the outcome is as limited as the review suggests.

And then, every year at autumn time, we hear of the problems associated with the current year's flu vaccine production. It need to be reformulated each year to take account of the current strains of virus that are causing flu - they mutate regularly making previous vaccines useless. Every year there are delays in producing or supplying them in sufficient quantity for the expected demand.

Just exactly who is profiting from this? The recurring supply delays makes the headlines and causes panic among those people who believe that no vaccine means an unprotected tussle with the flu virus. The publicity opens the flood gates and people in the "at risk" groups besiege the doctors. The doctors complain to pharmacists and health chiefs. No one is happy.

Well, not exactly no one. I reckon there are at least one or two happy organisations. The manufacturing companies have the monopoly of production. They create great demand by informing the media of this year's problems and wait to see their profit figures grow.

The result of this is to point out to that if you want to avoid the flu or winter colds, you had better start doing it yourself. Forget the flu jab and concentrate on building up your immune system while you can. Get more vitamin D from whatever source. Add a supplement to your diet; improve your diet to include the vitamin D sources; don't forget the other vitamins and minerals that help, especially vitamin C and zinc.

If you catch the flu, look to some of the herbal preparations to help fight it. Things such as echinacea have good records of success, as have larger doses of vitamin C and vitamin D.

Start right now and you can thumb your nose at the pharmaceutical industry st least so far as flu is concerned.

Get more information on vitamins and minerals as well as details of supplements and alternative therapies at http://www.healthexplored.co.uk