Vitamin D and the Impact on Infection Rates

I continue to try to figure out why there are so many Vitamin D deficient people.  If you pick up any newspaper or magazine that has a health section you have undoubtedly read something about Vitamin D and health.  I think that this is my second or third article about Vitamin D and the importance of maintaining adequate levels.  How much daily Vitamin D should you take?  It depends…Many factors like men versus women versus ethnicity play a part on how much Vitamin D you should take.  Living in the sun belt doesn’t seem to assure that you will get adequate Vitamin D from the sun.

Recent literature points to at least one cause of endemic vitamin D deficiency may be a large contributor; the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPi) like Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid.  Unlike their older cousins, the H2 blockers, these pills stop stomach acid production totally.  The digestion of vitamin D and the activation of it depend on some acid in the stomach it seems.  If you cut acid, you cut vitamin D absorption and vitamin D levels go down, down, down.  I know of one nurse on a PPi for over a year who had a vitamin D level of 8 (normal is greater than 50).

Despite recommendations by GI experts, people continue to take PPi’s ad infinitum. I am not surprised because if one suddenly stops a PPi cold turkey after taking it for months on end, the acid producing glands in the stomach turn on at full force and acid reflux symptoms return at full vengeance.  We have been doing slow tapers off of PPi’s including short courses of H2 blockers like Zantac while coming off of PPi’s to cushion the PPi withdrawal affect.  Make sure you check with your care provider before doing this or having a vitamin D level checked.

A recent comparative study looked at pneumonia infection rates and compared these with vitamin D levels.  The study found that those with inadequate vitamin D levels had higher rates of pneumonia.  If this is true I also wonder about other infections like sinusitis, strep throat and middle ear infections.  As I have discussed in prior newsletter articles, the use of vitamin C does not prevent infections.  This has scientifically been reproduced countless times yet I continue to see people buy and take Airborne and other supplements like this product and think that it will help them prevent an upper respiratory infection.  To wit I exclaim “poppycock” my fine friend!  Airborne will do nothing to prevent anything.  Increasing your daily dose of vitamin D will probably help.  I recommend they during the cold and flu season (now) to take 2000 units of vitamin D daily (we are washing our hands well, too!)  At least with this recommendation there is science to support my claim. The same nurse I told you about above with the low vitamin D levels also seems to get more sinus infections when she has low vitamin D levels.

Remember you can always have a vitamin D level checked if you are in doubt about your current vitamin D intake.  It is a blood test and it is a bit spendy ($200…why?). In the meantime listen to your mother: get adequate rest, eat a healthy diet, exercise routinely and wash your hands.

(Sources: Journal of American Medical Association. 2012 Oct 3;308(13):1333-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.12505 and The Consultant Pharmacist. February 2012, p 114-120.)