Is vitamin D stopping me from catching everything like usual?

[Butterflypattern]

I’ve been taking vitamin D3 everyday since last March.
I’m usually catch everything going as I work in a school and I have a toddler who goes to nursery. He’s just got over a very nasty virus (not Covid) but he had a high temp, cough etc and was ill on and off for over a week. Usually I would catch something like this, but I didn’t.
I haven’t actually been properly ill since around September of last year when I had a generic virus that was mostly sore throat, fever and snotty.

I also haven’t had either vaccine because I’ve got a severe phobia of needles.

So I guess I’m just wondering is vitamin D3 helping my body warn off infections and viruses?

I don't know but I have noticed that I've been so much healthier as well. I've not been taking vitamin D and I normally get every cold/illness etc but I haven't had a cold since the start of covid and I haven't been ill with anything else either

No. But social distancing and masks, increased hygiene measures and less mixing has caused a huge reduction in the circulation of normal viruses.

For the first time in many many years, more people are actually being hygienic. There arent as many bugs around on surfaces because people are using anti-bac hand gel going in and out of shops and schools, they're washing hands. People are still touching fewer surfaces than they did before.

Vitamin D does help boost your immune system, so you will be healthier if you're taking it. But it is also the shift in culture that is helping too. I didnt have a single cold this year, and I usually spend a few months with a constant sniffle.

Just to be clear; Vitamin D is not going to save you from covid. It has nothing to do with you not catching covid.

Linking being unvaccinated but on Vitamin D with not having covid is really irresponsible and dangerous. So just want to be clear; vitamin d does not stop a virus. Before you start spreading that around.

I've only had 1 jab so far, just a few weeks ago. I've never had covid. I dont take vitamin d. I di eat watermelon every day. Maybe that's why I've not got covid? See how ridiculous that sounds?

@TheWoleb

Just to be clear; Vitamin D is not going to save you from covid. It has nothing to do with you not catching covid.

Linking being unvaccinated but on Vitamin D with not having covid is really irresponsible and dangerous. So just want to be clear; vitamin d does not stop a virus. Before you start spreading that around.

I've only had 1 jab so far, just a few weeks ago. I've never had covid. I dont take vitamin d. I di eat watermelon every day. Maybe that's why I've not got covid? See how ridiculous that sounds?

this

vit d3 supplements will help your immjne system generally but you will still catch whatever is going around. especially if you have children around you.

best measures against infection are hygiene measures, physical distance and VACCINATION.

I’ve been taking big doses for about 8 years now (since I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism) and I genuinely can’t remember the last time I got properly ill. Even when my kids have been ill, I rarely catch it (even a cold).

I’ve totally jinxed it now, lol.

I think people are just actually washing their hands now.

@TheWoleb

Just to be clear; Vitamin D is not going to save you from covid. It has nothing to do with you not catching covid.

Linking being unvaccinated but on Vitamin D with not having covid is really irresponsible and dangerous. So just want to be clear; vitamin d does not stop a virus. Before you start spreading that around.

I've only had 1 jab so far, just a few weeks ago. I've never had covid. I dont take vitamin d. I di eat watermelon every day. Maybe that's why I've not got covid? See how ridiculous that sounds?

The OP wasn't discussing COVID so why this response linking to COVID?

To answer. Yes, Vit D may help reduce you catching the usual coughs and colds. I take high doses daily and rarely get ill.

I don't take supplements

I have an indoor FT job

According to MN I must be severely deficient in vit. D most of the year -- because (according to MNers) most people in Britain are, especially those of us with indoor jobs

I had one noticeable cold in January 2020 & none for years before that

It must be because I wear lots of pink

@TheWoleb

Just to be clear; Vitamin D is not going to save you from covid. It has nothing to do with you not catching covid.

Linking being unvaccinated but on Vitamin D with not having covid is really irresponsible and dangerous. So just want to be clear; vitamin d does not stop a virus. Before you start spreading that around.

I've only had 1 jab so far, just a few weeks ago. I've never had covid. I dont take vitamin d. I di eat watermelon every day. Maybe that's why I've not got covid? See how ridiculous that sounds?

You're being a bit ignorant in suggesting that a person cannot make certain lifestyle choices, especially regarding diet and health, which can reduce their risk of illness.

Not vitamin D.

Better hygiene (washing hands, anti-bac hands, places cleaning surfaces/door handles a lot more regularly), social distancing and most of all masks.

@TheWoleb

Just to be clear; Vitamin D is not going to save you from covid. It has nothing to do with you not catching covid.

Linking being unvaccinated but on Vitamin D with not having covid is really irresponsible and dangerous. So just want to be clear; vitamin d does not stop a virus. Before you start spreading that around.

I've only had 1 jab so far, just a few weeks ago. I've never had covid. I dont take vitamin d. I di eat watermelon every day. Maybe that's why I've not got covid? See how ridiculous that sounds?

It won't stop you from catching covid, but it might make you less likely to become seriously ill: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77093-z

I take vitamin D each winter from October to March and have done for years - in fact I think it's government recommendation in the UK

Just a side note but hospitals are now far more worried about 'normal' illnesses suddenly exploding and overwhelming them.

Things such as flu, D&V, colds, chicken pox etc. not usually much of a problem but if everyone goes down at the same time staffing issues could occur.

I don't know anyone that had a cold last year but this year I expect it to be bad as masks are not being worn as much and hand washing gets forgotten about.

Viatmin D plays an important role in the immune system
www.who.int/elena/titles/bbc/vitamind_pneumonia_children/en/

Vitamin D is thought to play an important role in immune system regulation, and can potentially protect against infections (21, 22), in addition to cancer, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes (23–26). Vitamin D supplementation appears to reduce the incidence of and adverse outcomes from these conditions and others such as acute lower respiratory infections, as well as reducing all-cause mortality (27, 28).

The advice is to suppliment in winter in UK as large amount of the population end up vit d deficient- the sun wavelength is wrong for us to make it via skin in winter months and modern diets aren't as rich in vit d as they once were. Being deficient would hinder bodies reponse to fighting viruses.

I took vit D and some assocaited vitamins winter before covid in desperation with my SAD symptoms and found they improved and I endure fewer bad colds - so was likely deficient.

Current hygine measure works against some other cold causing vriuses- so that's likely why there are fewer colds about other viruses like rsv viruses are hardier and are still around and spreading.

It's perfectly possible you didn't have symptoms to this virus because you've enountered it before - with fewer colds about when they occur we could just be noting them more - I caught many my children brought home but not all.

I've found suppliments seem to help me have fewer bad colds than before - though also discovered Sambucol which seems to have some evidence it can shorten some colds/flu also has zinc in which may help reduce durrations of colds.

So in answer possibly - but there's no way to know for sure and going forward good hygine - lots of handwashing thoughout the day - is also something to consider important as that's been shown to reduce number colds for individuals. But then again it could easily just be a fluke year with fewer colds around in general.

I started taking vit D in 2017, after being ill a lot in the preceding three years. After a couple of months I hardly caught any of the bugs my kids brought home. So for me, personally, yes, it did seem to boost my immune system.

@AdultingAvoidance

Then why did she mention the vaccines?
The OP brought up covid, not me.

When she has a post going on about how she hasn't been ill at all due to vitamin D and then casually mentions she is also unvaccinated, the insinuation is that she is unvaccinated but hasn't caught covid and is bigging up the role of vitamin D in that. There was no other reason for her to mention being unvaccinated.

It’s most likely a combination of Vitamin D and better hygiene measures plus masks etc.

To dismiss vitamin D completely is very ignorant. Why is everything so black and white? A quick bit of research shows this.

There are widespread studies showing it helps to protect against viruses as well as a host of other things. It’s not just MN anecdotes that say spending lots of time indoors reduces the body’s ability to make D.

[quote TheWoleb]@AdultingAvoidance

Then why did she mention the vaccines?
The OP brought up covid, not me.

When she has a post going on about how she hasn't been ill at all due to vitamin D and then casually mentions she is also unvaccinated, the insinuation is that she is unvaccinated but hasn't caught covid and is bigging up the role of vitamin D in that. There was no other reason for her to mention being unvaccinated.[/quote]
@TheWoleb

ha! Do you read the posts or guess them?

He’s just got over a very nasty virus (not Covid)

later

I have a severe phobia of needles

No wonder so many posts go off track, read them before responding!

@AdultingAvoidance

What are you talking about?

Her son had a virus and she didnt catch it, when she thought she would. Could be her imminent system fighting it off, could be a whole number of things. I have kids. Sometimes I catch what they've got and sometimes I dont.

And I'll ask again, why was it necessary to mention being unvaccinated? It had nothing to do with the post. She says she's just asking if vitamin D could be helping her immune system, which it does.

To then go on and say she is unvaccinated, for no reason at all, while talking about how good vitamin D is at keeping her healthy... it is a stealth anti-vax and insinuating that you'll be fine from covid if you take vitamin D. Where have you been the last 18 months? Mumsnet has been full of posts like this, about being healthy and keeping illness away... and then they casually mention being unvaccinated for no reason at all. Other than to link avoiding covid with whatever health kick they are on.

I've been taking Vitamin D combined with Vitamin K for years and still catch a cold annually except since Covid. YABVU

@Fireplace12

No. But social distancing and masks, increased hygiene measures and less mixing has caused a huge reduction in the circulation of normal viruses.

This exactly. I've been taking Vit D for many years but, now face masks and distancing have reduced, I've just had a stinking cold for the first time in two years

Definitely hand washing particularly after going to the loo and after travelling has helped reduce the germ circulation. This pandemic has forced a lot of the dirty bastards who don't wash after using the loo to wash their hands.

[quote TheWoleb]@AdultingAvoidance

What are you talking about?

Her son had a virus and she didnt catch it, when she thought she would. Could be her imminent system fighting it off, could be a whole number of things. I have kids. Sometimes I catch what they've got and sometimes I dont.

And I'll ask again, why was it necessary to mention being unvaccinated? It had nothing to do with the post. She says she's just asking if vitamin D could be helping her immune system, which it does.

To then go on and say she is unvaccinated, for no reason at all, while talking about how good vitamin D is at keeping her healthy... it is a stealth anti-vax and insinuating that you'll be fine from covid if you take vitamin D. Where have you been the last 18 months? Mumsnet has been full of posts like this, about being healthy and keeping illness away... and then they casually mention being unvaccinated for no reason at all. Other than to link avoiding covid with whatever health kick they are on.[/quote]
Agree, there was an undertone of is this going to stop me catching Covid too so commenting that no it won’t was reasonable.

A vaccine is a lot more reliable than vitD, so get the vaccine. VitD is not going to have a big impact if you read the science.

Vit D helps ward off colds and boosts your immune system. Having the vaccine wards off covid. I know which I'd be most concerned about so give your head a wobble.