According to several sources I’ve read about, adequate vitamin D ingestion can help support your immune system. I tested as being pretty low on vitamin D so I started taking supplements of 1000 IU of D3 per day, which I increased (based on feedback from my naturopath) to 2000 IU per day.
In addition to this, I have stopped using hand sanitizer. In fact, the last bug I caught was after using hand sanitizer so it occurred to me that it might be removing good bacteria as well as the bad stuff.
So here is my experiment:
1. 2000 IU of vitamin D3, in supplement form, per day. (In case you’re curious, I’m taking this SISU brand product)
2. Hand washing. I wash my hands almost as soon as I get home and before I start to work with food or do anything, really. Back and front, using a natural soap if I can (it usually ends up being the fruit and vegetable wash liquid).
3. Switched brands of vitamin C to the SISU brand as well — I suspected that the Genestra product (C-1000 with bioflavinoids) I’ve been using for years was no longer quite doing the trick. One a day (1000 mg) of vitamin C. This one has Ester C.
4. Ran out of my normal calcium, so I started using the SISU brand of that as well. It’s a coincidence — honest! I’m taking 4 pills (2 with lunch and 2 in the evening) per day.
5. My usual B-12 folic acid supplement in the morning when I remember to take it. That one isn’t SISU — at least not right now!
OH! I just remembered one other change I’ve made … I’m drinking boiled water from the kettle at work rather than using (and re-using) either my stainless steel water bottle or plastic bottles.
Let’s see how it goes … fingers crossed …
vitamin D is also necessary to assist in the absorption of certain important nutrients too. you’d be able to get more out of certain vitamins and foods w/ ample vitamin D in your system….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D
gah… i’m going to need to start taking some of that ASAP!
Comment by blushone — January 31, 2009 @ 2:47 pm