D best way to stay healthy this winter

Keep colds and the flu at bay with a daily dose of the sunshine vitamin, says Rachel Borrill.

IT’S that time of year again. People are queuing up to get their annual flu injections. But what are the best natural methods to boost your immune system and ensure that colds and the flu are kept at bay?

According to a recent Australian scientific study, people who regularly took a vitamin D supplement were less likely to be sick with the flu.

Professor Michael Holick, an expert on vitamin D and professor of medicine at Boston University Medical Centre, agrees and suggests that almost 90% of the Irish population are vitamin D deficient because of our lack of sunshine and diet.

“Vitamin D is critically important from birth to death,’’ he says. “The sooner you take it the better you will feel. If you are 10 or 80 years of age, I urge you to increase your intake, it will definitely improve your health.

“It has also been demonstrated that adults who took 50 micrograms a day reduced their risk of getting viral infections, so were less likely to be out of work and those that were sick recovered more quickly.”

Vitamin D also helps prevent dementia, as it increases cretonne levels in the brain; arthritis as it improves muscle function and osteoporosis as it helps to absorb calcium.

So how much vitamin D do we actually need to stay healthy? Last November the US National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine recommended 15 micrograms for all children and adults in the US up to the age of 70, and up to 20 micrograms for those over 70.

“We now realise that people need a lot more vitamin D,’’ says Professor Holick. “The solution is simple. Increase your diet with fortified foods, and foods rich in vitamin D like oily fish, take a supplement and then sensible sun exposure, which means go out for five to 10 minutes, two or three times a week, and just put the sun protection on your face.’’

There are also a number of natural herb remedies, probably already stocked on your kitchen shelves, which will also help to boost the immune system.

Ciara Murphy, a herbalist with a practice in Blackrock, Co Dublin, says eating raw garlic every day should help to keep colds and flu at bay.

“Garlic is nature’s antibiotic — chop it up and mix it in with your food. Start off slowly and build it up so that you are eating three to four gloves of garlic a day.”

As raw garlic thins the blood, it’s important to be aware that it can interact with some medicines, says Murphy.

A daily glass of warm water and lemon is also a good idea as it helps to keep the body hydrated and helps to clean the kidneys.

“It is also important that your digestion is strong, so your bowels should move twice or three times a day. When people get the first signs of the flu the best thing to do is to fast.

“Eating and digesting food takes up a huge amount of energy. So if you can give your body a rest from digesting it can use that energy to help to heal,’’ she says.

Murphy also recommends ensuring that your body has enough rest — a poor night’s sleep can leave your body worn down and unable to prevent illness.

“Any herbs that are diuretic like yarrow are also good as they encourage perspiration. The skin is like a third kidney, so anything that comes out of the skin is good and again will help boost your immune system,’’ she says.