Last fall I met with author Marc Sorenson, who was in Toronto promoting his book Vitamin D3 And Solar Power for Optimal Health. It was an interesting conversation and came at a time when more and more studies were showing that we need to get more vitamin D daily. His research says that because we live in a part of the world where the winters are long and dark, and because many of us are very conscientous about our exposure to the sun (and rightly so), we aren't getting enough of the "sunshine vitamin" to do us all the good that it could.

Sorenson cited studies on all the benefits of taking adequate amounts of this supplement, including a link between autism and vitamin D deficiency, a strong link to preventing many forms of cancer including breast, prostate and colon, and its ability to prevent colds and flu.

All of the information hit home for me, but what I really wanted to find out was how much of an impact taking an increased amount of vitamin D would have on me during the "season of sickness" in my house. This period typically runs from September right through until April, and with my youngest son in JK this year I knew I was going to be sick all through the school year right along with him.

The year started out as I expected—I got everything he brought home. But once I upped the amount I was taking to 800 IU daily (coupled with my multivitamin) I started to notice that I wasn't getting sick every time he had an ear infection (I lost count of how many somewhere around 5), a runny nose (which was a constant fixture on his face) or a fever. I wasn't fortunate enough to miss the stomach flu, but luckily it lasted for only 24 hours. I'm almost afraid to be writing about it now—for fear that I'll jinx myself and will come down with a cold that sticks around for weeks—but I think that since it's mid-May and school is close to being done for the year, I am almost out of the woods.

I'm continuing to take this supplement every day, but I'm wondering what kind of an impact more vitamin D (he takes a children's chewable daily) could have for my son during his second year in "big school". It's something I plan on researching and talking about with his doctor before the fall and hopefully we will be spared the "season of sickness" or at least reduce its length and severity.

Read more:
• The best sources of vitamin D
• Are you getting enough vitamin D?
• Prevent cancer with good nutrition

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