Flu season is right around the corner, and this is the time when everyone starts to explore their options. To get a flu shot or to not get a flu shot, extra intake of vitamin C–there are lots of different routes that people are going to take. What a lot of people don’t know is there are proven studies that show vitamin D can actually decrease your chances of getting the flu, more than a flu shot can.
Most families worry about their children getting the flu. After all, every day our children go to school where they breathe the same air hundreds of other students are breathing. It is no surprise how one child can get sick, bring it to school, only to have other children bring back the flu to their families. This could be why a lot of medical studies tend to focus on children, especially when trying to discover new ways to combat colds and flus.
Before rushing to get a flu shot, consider this natural alternative. Scientists have found a vitamin that is 8x more effective than the flu shot, without the harmful side effects. In recent years, more studies have been trying to focus on vitamin usage as opposed to the flu shot and what the difference between the two are, or if one is more effective than the other in preventing the flu. More specifically, they have been focusing on the effects of vitamin D.
Well one particular study was done in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that published the results of a trial they did testing the effects of vitamin D in regards to preventing the flu from occurring in young children. According to Natural News, the results of this trial conclude that vitamin D is 800% more effective than opposed to administering a flu shot. Dr. Mercola concluded the study even further by summarizing that when children in this study were given low doses of vitamin D, 42% had decreased flu risks.
Vitamin D is something that we can naturally get from our own bodies when exposed to sunlight. This makes sense if you think about it, as to why we can all get sick more during the winter months, especially if we live in a place that is very rainy and snowy, as opposed to if we lived in warmer all-year-long climates. However, vitamin D can also come in the form of supplements, through eating certain foods, or through injections.
We have to remember that everyone’s body functions differently. Some people get a flu shot religiously each year and they never get the flu. Others get a flu shot and still end up getting it regardless. Then others get lucky and skip it, while some just rely on vitamins, supplements, or remedies to survive flu season. What works for one person may not be the answer for the next. What is important, is determining whether the vitamin D route might be a better one for you to take or not.
Depending on your body, a flu shot could be the route for you to go, or it could be vitamin D. Always double check with your doctor if you are unsure which one you should choose.