Natural Cold Remedies: Get Your Nutrients (Selenium and Vitamin D)

A previous article entitled, “Natural Cold Remedies” discussed several natural ways to remedy the common cold, and getting the proper dose of vitamins and minerals was one of them. The article mentioned Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Beta-Carotene as nutrients that are especially effective in strengthening the immune system and helping your body avoid the common cold and flu. This article will look more closely at two of these vital nutrients: Selenium and Vitamin D.

Although it is toxic in large doses, Selenium is an essential micronutrient and vital when it comes to immune system health.  Having a well balanced diet usually provides enough selenium for the average human, and most cases of low selenium are linked to dependence on food grown in low-selenium based soil. Deficiency of this nutrient can lead to a disease called Keshen, which makes the body more susceptible to illness caused by other nutritional, biochemical, or infectious diseases. Natural food sources high in selenium include cereals (eg. corn, wheat, and rice), nuts (brazil nuts and walnuts), legumes (soybeans), animal products (beef, chicken, egg, cheese), and seafood (tuna). Other selenium rich foods are oats, cods and turkey.

Vitamin D is an incredible nutrient that can be linked to cold and flu resistance. A study published in the February 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine (involving 1900 adults and children done by the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine) found that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. Vitamin D can play a significant role in the prevention of influenza, given a well-demonstrated link between vitamin D deficiency and the incidence of respiratory infections.

Given what is known about vitamin D and influenza, it is important to get the recommended daily amount in order to avoid disease and infection. Natural sources of vitamin D include fish liver oils, fatty fish species, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms. Exposure to sunlight helps the body to produce vitamin D. Season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, and sunscreen affect UV ray exposure and vitamin D synthesis in the skin, so it is important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet.