Tip of The Week
Weekly insights for your children. Topics may include: Prevention of Allergies, Baby Food Guide and Signals of a Weak Immune System.
VITAMIN D AND INCREASED IMMUNITY
I was recently informed that a friend was giving her daughter Vitamin D to help in her immunity. Seems like a smart idea, especially living out here in our cold, dark climate with next to no sun. So I did a bit of research and this is what I found out... "Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts [4-6]. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults [3,7,8]. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
Vitamin D has other roles in human health, including modulation of neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation."
The recommendation is for 400 daily units for Vitamin D a day from a young child to adolesense. Seems like a wise choice, that I will start to initiate, I will be sure to let you know how it works out.
SOURCES: Found in Boston News.com
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/10/13/doctors_double_vit... of Dietary Supplements: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp
