In my last post, I discussed my discovery of Vitamin D as a key nutrient in fighting colds/flu. Right after I found this research last Friday, I immediately went to the store and bought some Vitamin D supplements. I took a good bit, as the research suggests there is a high ceiling for toxicity.
My other idea was to try and get some Vitamin D naturally, via sunlight. It is winter here in Buffalo, so outdoor sunlight isn't available. So I did some more research and found that tanning beds can produce Vitamin D.
I am fair-skinned and don't really tan, so I had never been to a tanning bed before. But in the spirit of self-experimentation, off I went to a local tanning salon. I went in one of the cheaper, regular beds because they have the most UVB light, and that is what's chiefly responsible for the body's internal production of Vitamin D. The high-intensity beds strip the UVB light and depend on UVA light to generate a tan.
The tanning experience was actually pretty neat. It felt a bit like lying on the beach. I only spent a short time in the bed, as burning or tanning isn't necessary for the body to produce Vitamin D, just moderate sun exposure.
Whether it was the supplements or the sun, I felt good that night, good enough to do vigorous exercise for the first time in 12 days. The next morning I felt I was back to fulll health.
This could have all been a coincidence; my cold could have just finally run its course during this time, but I highly doubt it. The tanning bed felt good - I will probably experiment with doing it once a week in the winter. And I will keep taking the Vitamin D supplements as well.
In my last post, I discussed my discovery of Vitamin D as a key nutrient in fighting colds/flu. Right after I found this research last Friday, I immediately went to the store and bought some Vitamin D supplements. I took a good bit, as the research suggests there is a high ceiling for toxicity.
My other idea was to try and get some Vitamin D naturally, via sunlight. It is winter here in Buffalo, so outdoor sunlight isn't available. So I did some more research and found that tanning beds can produce Vitamin D.
I am fair-skinned and don't really tan, so I had never been to a tanning bed before. But in the spirit of self-experimentation, off I went to a local tanning salon. I went in one of the cheaper, regular beds because they have the most UVB light, and that is what's chiefly responsible for the body's internal production of Vitamin D. The high-intensity beds strip the UVB light and depend on UVA light to generate a tan.
The tanning experience was actually pretty neat. It felt a bit like lying on the beach. I only spent a short time in the bed, as burning or tanning isn't necessary for the body to produce Vitamin D, just moderate sun exposure.
Whether it was the supplements or the sun, I felt good that night, good enough to do vigorous exercise for the first time in 12 days. The next morning I felt I was back to fulll health.
This could have all been a coincidence; my cold could have just finally run its course during this time, but I highly doubt it. The tanning bed felt good - I will probably experiment with doing it once a week in the winter. And I will keep taking the Vitamin D supplements as well.