Dr John Cannell reports that in April 2005 a flu epidemic swept through the hospital he was working in. Patients in wards either side, opposite and below were affected and yet his ward wasn’t, even though his patients had intermingled with the ones in the affected wards. This intrigued him. They were seemingly no different from the other patients. How did they escape from this highly infectious respiratory illness?

Shortly after this event occurred a paper was published in an important medical journal that showed that a steroid hormone that occurs naturally was in effect a powerful antibiotic. This steroid hormone does not directly kill pathogens. Instead it induces the body produces more antimicrobial peptides. This protein class quickly destroys the cell walls of viruses, fungi and bacteria. It also plays an important role in keeping infections away from the lungs.

What is this amazing steroid hormone? It is none other than vitamin D.

This medical paper appeared to answer the question in his mind because all his patients on the ward had been given 2000 units of vitamin D each day for several months.

This also explains some other things. The influenza virus exists all round the year and yet it is mainly a winter illness. We get over 90% of our supply of vitamin D from the sun. Children who are diagnosed with rickets – a disease of vitamin D deficiency – are more likely to contract a respiratory infection.

While drug companies and their allies can only offer useless, expensive and harmful vaccines, and useless, harmful and expensive antiviral medications, the natural therapist can offer advice that costs nothing in the summer and a limited amount through supplements in the winter. As usual those that work with nature can offer more effective and cheaper therapies than anything the drug corporations can come up with. So do enjoy the coming spring and summer. Build up your stores of “seasonal factor” for a flu free winter.