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Dr. Michael Holick
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VIDEO: Dr. Holick - Vitamin D, How Does It Affect A Woman's Immune System?

Dr. Holick recalls how vitamin D can affect a woman's immune system.

Dr. Holick:
Well, we are now recognizing that the white blood cells have receptors for vitamin D, that vitamin D modulates the immune system, and we think that that may be the explanation for why women that took the most vitamin D had less likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. We also know even osteoarthritis is now associated with vitamin D deficiency in women.

We also know that the cells that are responsible for basically gobbling up infectious processes is regulated by vitamin D, and we now think that maybe even upper respiratory tract infections for children and for women may in fact be due to vitamin D deficiency. There was one study that showed that women taking 2000 units of vitamin D a day for one year reduced their risk of upper respiratory tract infections by 90%.

About Dr. Holick, Ph.D., M.D.:
Michael Holick, Ph.D., M.D., is the Professor of Medicine of Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and performed his residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Holick specializes in vitamin D, calcium, bone metabolism, photobiology of vitamin, and osteoporosis. Dr. Holick is also the recipient of the American Skin Associations Psoriasis Research Achievement Award, the American College of Nutrition Award, the Robert H. Herman Memorial Award in Clinical Nutrition from the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, and more.

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