From allergies, hives, and even arthritis to just a runny nose in the morning, the symptoms of autoimmune conditions plague millions of people.
What you might not know is that one vitamin might be able to improve allergy symptoms.
Vitamin D is the one nutrient that most people don’t get enough of—and the results are showing everywhere.
Germs are often the trigger of autoimmune symptoms. Take hives for instance. Scientists are now discovering that in 70% of hives cases, one particular germ might be to blame[1]. That germ is called helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) and it invades your body through tainted water and spoiled food or person to person contact. H. pylori causes inflammation and, as research is showing, it might actually be a leading cause of stomach cancer[2].
So where does vitamin D come in? Vitamin D fights off dangerous H. pylori bacteria and provides important anti-inflammatory properties that kick allergies and gut-based infection away.
Most people, however, don’t get nearly enough vitamin D.
In one study, vitamin D was able to immediately relieve hives likely caused by H. pylori. Researchers proved that an intake of 4000 IU of vitamin D improved allergy symptoms by 30% in one week and up to 40% over the course of 12 weeks[3].
Scientists and doctors recognize that vitamin D intake is a critical part of fighting off infection. According to researchers at the University of Copenhagen, without an adequate supply of vitamin D, your body’s T cells—the most important part of your immune system—can’t properly respond to serious infections in your body[4].
A study specifically related to the H. pylori we talked about earlier shows that your body actually craves vitamin D during infections[5]. A recent study demonstrated that when an H. pylori infection occurs, your body activated it’s vitamin D receptors, sending out a signal to create more antibodies to destroy the germ. An inadequate supply of vitamin D makes this impossible and the infection takes over.
Many common allergy like symptoms are the result of inflammatory responses caused by bacteria like H. pylori. In this case, studies have linked vitamin D deficiency and immune response directly to the bacteria. Because it is such an important building block of the immune system and T cells, there are plenty of other infections that react the same way to vitamin D.
The best way to stay healthy and curb inflammation is to keep your dietary levels of vitamin D high. Blood levels of 50 ng/ml of vitamin D3 are considered the “normal” range needed to prevent inflammation and your doctor can easily perform the necessary tests to determine your current levels.
Mushrooms, eggs, wild salmon and other fatty fish contain vitamin D3. It might be hard to find natural sources, so you might have to supplement. If you do, be sure to choose a high quality, natural-based supplement source.