This article comes to you from Dan Butterfield of Butterfield Wellness. 

As we move into another flu season the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is strongly urging Americans to get flu shots.

There are a number of reasons to consider not getting a flu shot.

The November 2009 issue of Atlantic has a very good article titled “Does the Vaccine Matter?”  The article looks at all the flu vaccine studies and concludes that there is little, if any benefit from flu shots.

A study published in the October 2008 issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons.  The researchers concluded that “significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age or setting examined.” 

Additionally a group health study found that flu shots do not protect elderly people against developing pneumonia – the primary cause of death resulting as a complication of the flu.  Flu shots among the elderly increased from 15% in 1980 to 65% now, but there is no decrease in deaths from influenza or pneumonia.

There is some evidence that flu shots contribute to Alzheimer’s, most likely from combining mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde which are in flu shots.  Mercury in vaccines is a possible contributor or cause of autism for the same reasons.  There is up to 25 micrograms of mercury in a flu shot, making them unsafe for anyone under 550 pounds. 

Increased marketing of flu shots by the CDC and most physicians ignores the fact that a systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 23 months to 6 years found flu vaccine to be no more effective than a placebo.

There is increasing evidence that influenza is a vitamin D deficiency.  It occurs as our vitamin D levels plunge as we go into winter.  Vitamin D releases our own antibiotics known as antimicrobial peptides.  A person with low vitamin D levels is more vulnerable to colds, influenza and other respiratory infections.

Vitamin D and Children

Dosing – according to Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council breast fed infants should receive l,000 IU’s daily, bottle-fed infants 600 IU’s as a starting point.  For older children and adults, 1,000 IU’s per 25 lbs of body weight each day appears to be a maintenance dose.  Individual requirements vary widely, so blood testing for Vitamin D levels is helpful in appropriate dosing.  Many doctors have not yet been informed of proper blood levels, usually measured in nanograms per milliliter of blood, or ng/ml.  The conventional notion is that anything under 30 ng/ml is a deficiency and anything over that is sufficiency.  However, as Dr. Cannell points out, we do not begin to receive cancer protection from vitamin D until 50 ng/ml and 70 to 90 ng/ml is an optimal level.  Toxicity has not been observed at levels under 200 ng/ml.

85%  of the population is Vitamin D deficient

99%  of African Americans are Vitamin D deficient

98%  of what we know about Vitamin D we’ve learned in the last 10 years.

We have 30,000 genes, Vitamin D regulates 2,000 of those genes.  Vitamin D has many uses in the body, we are still learning more.  It is vitally important for all of our organs and systems.

Dr. William Grant Ph.D found that 30% of all cancer deaths could be prevented by adequate D levels – above 30 ng/ml.  You can cut your risk of cancer in half by optimizing Vitamin D – between 50-90 ng/ml.

It is the one vitamin that will reduce your risk of death from all causes.

Vitamin D may be helpful in preventing or treating the following:

cardiovascular disease                

autism                        

muscle pain    

depression                                         

myopia                      

arthritis           

schizophrenia                                   

seizures                      

macular degeneration

psoriasis                                             

infertility                     

osteoporosis

eczema                                                 

pre-eclampsia             

asthma

hearing loss                                        

migraines

It prevents 17 cancers that we know of.

 

Sunshine is the best source, but we only make it in our skin when our shadow is shorter than we are.  This is mid-day, April until September.

We make up to 20,000 IU’s in 20-30 minutes of sun exposure.

Blood testing is the best way to guide oral dosing –

          Lab Corp through Life Extension  1-800-208-3444   $47

          Quest Labs & Mayo Clinic are inaccurate.  Their results must be divided by 3/4.

Oral dosing guidelines about 1,000 IU per 25 lbs of body weight daily.

We probably use between 3,000 to 5,000 IU’s daily.

There is a 600% difference in absorption between people.  Obesity, illness, injury, and unidentified genetic factors may account for this wide range of absorption. 

Toxic levels of Vitamin D are very rare.

Elderly people have been given single doses of 600,000 IU’s with no side effects.  Healthy adults 40,000 IU’s daily for months with no toxicity.

Acute dosing at the onset of colds and flu – take 1,000 IU’s per pound of bodyweight for 3 days in a row.  For example, a 150 pound adult would take 150,000 IU for 3 days in a row.  This seems like a lot, but in the above study of a single dose of 600,000 IU had the effect of raising D levels to the optimum range, 50-90 ng/ml.  After another 30 days had passed those optimum levels had fallen into the insufficient range.

See The Vitamin D Council for more information.

To learn more about Dan read his bio here.  To contact Dan directly for questions or consultation, visit his website.