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Monday morning March 22, 2010, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of school children showing vitamin D3 prevents influenza. A secondary finding was that asthmatic children on placebo had six times more asthma attacks than did children on vitamin D3.

Over the course of 4 months, Urashima et al1 compared the rate of incidence of influenza A diagnosis in 167 children using a nasopharyngeal swab. The children were randomized into 1 of 2 groups: Group 1 received 1200 IU/d of vitamin D(3) while Group 2 received a placebo. Only 10.8% of children receiving the Vitamin D(3) were found to have acquired Influenza A, whereas 18.6% of children in the placebo group acquired Influenza A; results were statistically significant. Also of importance, only 2 of the children with a diagnosis of asthma reported an attack whereas 12 children in the placebo group reported an asthmatic episode.

Key Take Home Points for Chiropractors and Their Patients

1. Vitamin D3 is a vital nutrient for immune system function, cardio-vascular function, and brain development and activity.2,3

2. Vitamin D3 is produced naturally in humans by direct exposure of the skin to sunlight. In Winter and even other seasons, we do not expose our skin to adequate time periods of Sun light. 2,3

3. It takes approximately 20 minutes per day of full body exposure (that means in the NUDE) to direct sunlight in order for your body to produce adequate levels of natural Vitamin D3. 2,3

4. Thus, most Adults and Children need to supplement daily with Vitamin D3, especially in the winter months.

5. According to the results of Urashima et al.1 vitamin D3 supplementation in school children may decrease the incidence of children developing signs and symptoms of the flu and may also decrease the rate of asthma attacks in asthmatic children.

References

1. Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, Kurihara M, Wada Y, Ida H. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Am J Clin Nutr.2010 Mar 10.

2. Toohey L. Vitamin D: The versatile nutrient. American Journal Clinical Chiropractic 2010; 20(1):4 and 21.

3. Murphy DJ. Our schools, Autism, and Vitamin D. American Journal Clinical Chiropractic 2009; 19(2).