Vitamin Information Center

VITAMIN D: “The Sun Vitamin”

Nicholas H.E. Mezitis MD and Despina Komninou MD, PhD, CNS

Did you know that vitamin D, as a hormone, has an important role in metabolic harmony?

Recent studies have shown that vitamin D in its active form is vital for bone health, since it ensures dietary calcium absorption, and helps prevent heart disease, cancer (breast, prostate, lung and colon ), as well as many other illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and tuberculosis.

Vitamin D regulates the calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood by promoting their absorption from food in the intestinal tract and by limiting the excretion of calcium by the kidneys. It influences the cells involved in remodeling bone (osteoclasts and osteoblasts) and it inhibits the secretion of parathyroid hormone, which signals calcium release from bone matrix. Importantly, it has a role to stimulate the immune system, promoting phagocytosis and anti-tumor activity among other functions.

The body produces vitamin D when bare skin is exposed to the sun, hence the term �sun vitamin�. Exposure to sunlight for at least 15 minutes two to three times a week produces adequate quantities of this vitamin for the body�s needs. It is estimated that the body can produce more than 20000 IU (international units) of vitamin D with just 20 minutes of sun exposure.. Once adequate amounts of vitamin D have been formed the body, excess amounts formed are rapidly degraded to protect from overload, in the event of prolonged exposure to the sun. However, conditions such as cloudy skies, northern climates, and atmospheric pollution, limit solar ultraviolet radiation exposure and restrict our ability to replete vitamin D stores.

Vitamin D can also be obtained from dietary sources. It is lipid-soluble and is therefore stored in fat. That is why we find it in fatty fish (like salmon and tuna), eggs, cod-liver oil and fortified milk. In our daily diet, 3 servings of milk (about 250 ml) provide us with approximately 900 mg of calcium and 300 IU of vitamin D.

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D is 200 IU for infants, youths and adults up to the age of 50 years. The requirement increases to 400 IU for adults ages 51 to 70 and to 600 IU for people older than 70 years. The RDI and the normal reference values for vitamin D in the blood, are based on levels reported to the prevent rickets and osteomalacia, the two main diseases attributed to lack of this vitamin. Rickets is a childhood disease characterized by poor growth and bone weakness, while osteomalacia is the clinical expression of vitamin D deficiency in adults and is characterized by demineralized bones, fractures, bone pain and generalized weakness. Osteoporosis represents abnormal weakening of bone structure with demineralization of the skeleton, and may also be associated with low levels of vitamin D.

Recent studies confirm that optimal vitamin D status is achieved when the 25- OH vitamin D level in the blood is more than 30 ng/ml. Levels between 10-30 ng / ml represent vitamin D insufficiency (hypovitaminosis D) which can either be moderate (21-30 ng/ml) or severe (10-20 ng/ml). Vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml are considered vitamin D deficiency and have serious consequences. We now know that long before the full clinical presentation of painful osteomalacia, hypovitaminosis D may cause non-specific symptoms such as persistent musculoskeletal pain regardless of age, gender and ethnic origin.

It is worth noting, that a significant proportion of the population has insufficient levels of vitamin D, mainly due to lack of sun exposure, especially during the winter months, which is not compensated by the usual diet. Indeed, today many of us work in buildings with sealed and tinted glass windows and drive everywhere with very few opportunities to walk in the sunlight. During our limited sun exposure opportunities we frequently use a sun screen lotion further obstructing the beneficial effects of sunlight. In areas above 40˚ latitude (e.g. New York, Northern California), sunshine adequate for vitamin D synthesis in the skin is restricted to the months from May through September. Therefore, a large proportion of the population in the United States is at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency

The prevention of hypovitaminosis D has important public health implications. Millions of health care dollars are spent in dealing with the illnesses and complications associated with this problem and additional funds are lost due to curtailed productivity on a societal level. Since sun exposure has its limitations, the diet is our primary source for this vitamin to ensure an intake of at least 1000 IU daily.

The proper diet must be rich in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, mushrooms (Shitake, sun dried, provide 1600 international units per 100 grams), free-range eggs and fortified milk products. Supplementation of vitamin D and calcium is advisable, especially for children and the elderly. Finally, regular, weight-bearing exercise ensures that calcium absorbed through the activity of vitamin D is used to mineralize the skeleton. Similar to a musical composition, health is ensured through harmony in diet and exercise.

More on the maintenance of metabolic harmony will be discussed in our next article *.

* This article is part of medical communication produced by the MEZITIS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE for the print media, television and radio programs(Cosmos FM “����� ��� ���” every Saturday at 12:30 pm on 91.5 FM and the internet, live streaming, at gaepis.org) focusing on topics in general health, metabolism and nutrition.

EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as an epidemic throughout the United States. And as the dark winter clouds descend upon the Vail Valley to obscure the warm Colorado sunshine, things will only get worse.

A growing body of research has begun to demonstrate the importance of vitamin D, known as the “sunshine” vitamin. Historically vitamin D has been associated with skeletal growth and strong bones. This association arose early in the 20th century when it was shown that rickets, a childhood disease characterized by improper development of bones, could be prevented by a fat-soluble “factor D” in the diet or body exposure to ultraviolet light. Therefore, any compound with curative action on rickets was designated as vitamin D.

Our current understanding of the vitamin is now much more far-reaching, but still far from complete. We know that almost every cell in the human body has a receptor for vitamin D. Thousands of studies have confirmed that vitamin D can improve mood, prevent colds and flu’s, prevent autoimmune disease, build bone mass, increase strength in the elderly, significantly reduce risk of cancer, decrease chronic pain and systemic inflammation and the incidence of heart disease, and much more. With such broad effects on health, scientists are saying that vitamin D might be the most important hormone in the body.

We know that vitamin D is found in small quantities in milk, milk products, fatty fish, sun-dried shiitaki mushrooms, fortified cereals, and a good multivitamin. But the best and most reliable source is sunlight exposure. Every inch of your skin is covered with a cholesterol derivative called 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is converted to vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (or more specifically, the invisible form of sunlight that causes sunburn known as ultraviolet-B). Interestingly, sunscreen with an SPF of 8 will decrease vitamin D synthesis by 92.5 percent, and an SPF of 15 will decrease it by 99 percent. In light of this fact, most naturopathic doctors are beginning to recommend sensible exposure to sunshine. Fifteen to 20 minutes of exposure to midday summer sun on the forearms and face is usually sufficient to raise vitamin D in the blood to healthy levels. And because most tanning beds emit 2 to 6 percent UVB radiation, some docs are even recommending tanning beds for the treatment and prevention of vitamin D deficiency during the wintertime — in moderation of course and for 30 to 50 percent of the time recommended for tanning.

Many doctors once scoffed at vitamin D deficiency, but testing has become more routine and is now covered by most health insurance plans. In Seattle, which is infamous for dark and excruciating long winters, most hospitals and clinics are routinely checking 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels on patients. In my experience, after living and working in Seattle for the past seven years, approximately 80 to 90 percent of Seattleites are proving to be deficient in this essential nutrient!

Even in sunny Colorado it seems that vitamin D deficiency may be the rule rather than the exception. This is especially true during the winter months, when Colorado is furthest from the sun and located at such an angle to the sun’s radiation that makes it impossible to allow for adequate vitamin D production in the skin. You can literally stand outside naked for eight hours a day during the winter and still not increase your vitamin D levels. This naked truth — in conjunction with widespread sunscreen use in the summertime, the rise in obesity (which causes the body to sequester the vitamin in fat cells), the high prevalence of various malabsorption syndromes (including wheat and dairy sensitivities), and the use of certain medications (that destroy or block the absorption of vitamin D into the bloodstream) — suggests that many of us are unknowingly deficient in this important nutriment.

Most experts believe that without adequate sun exposure, children and adults require 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. In cases of frank deficiency, much larger doses are often required to reestablish healthy levels. But be mindful that it is possible to go overboard with supplements. Because vitamin D is fat soluble and can build up in the body, it does have the potential to trigger dangerous calcium deposits in the kidneys and blood vessels. Therefore, it is advised to work closely with a doctor to promptly diagnose and effectively treat vitamin D deficiency. Your heath just might depend on it.

Nick Bitz is a naturopathic doctor at the Riverwalk Natural Health Clinic in Edwards. To reach the clinic, call 970-926-7606. E-mail comments about this column to cschnell@vaildaily.com.

The human body is an amazing factory, with all kinds of parts working together to make chemicals necessary for good health. But one thing it can’t make on its own is vitamin D. Research shows that defect can be troubling, especially among children.

To create vitamin D, which plays an important role in bone health and development, the body needs exposure to sunlight. As some countries move into autumn, the days get shorter and colder and exposure to sunlight decreases, making the colder months of the year a crucial time to watch vitamin D intake. Supplements can play an important role but one question is, how much?

Most of a child’s bone mass is built up early. A vitamin deficiency can prevent a child from building adequate bone mass now, and they won’t be able to make it all up later.

Although a study released this week found that vitamin D deficiencies are common in children around the world, there is minimal data on how much supplementation is necessary or safe.

Vitamin D is a fat — soluble vitamin directly or indirectly involved in several key body processes: regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, promoting bone formation and mineralisation, restricting parathyroid hormone secretion and promoting anti-tumour activity.

A review of medical literature on the vitamin published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine found that vitamin D is also associated with a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in children, and may inhibit future hip fracture.

The main source of vitamin D is sunlight, which the body uses to convert vitamin D into a useable form. It’s also found naturally in eggs and fatty fish like salmon or tuna, and milk and some breakfast cereals are fortified with the vitamin.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that children get 200 IUs of vitamin D daily, but some experts say that up to 800 IUs is better.

The new study found that high doses of the vitamin were safe for children, whether taken over the short-term or for a longer period of time, and helped increased bone mass in 10 to 17 year olds.

A study released this summer found that even children who are otherwise healthy can have low levels of vitamin D, resulting in low levels of bone mineral content.

The risk for low vitamin D levels begins in infancy —breast milk, like cow’s milk, is naturally low in vitamin D. And if a mother doesn’t have enough vitamin D, her breast milk won’t either.

A vitamin D deficiency can affect bone growth even if there are no obvious problems.

A bottle of vitamin supplements
The American Academy of Paediatrics says that rickets, bone softening that can lead to fractures and deformity, in infants due to low vitamin D intake is seen in several US states.

The agency recommends that breast-fed infants receive vitamin D supplement drops.

Children at risk
“It is recommended that all infants, including those who are exclusively breastfed, have a minimum intake of 200 IUs of vitamin D per day beginning during the first two months of life,” said a clinical report for the health agency done by Dr Lawrence Gartner and Dr Frank Greer.

“In addition, it is recommended that an intake of 200 IUs of vitamin D per day be continued throughout childhood and adolescence, because adequate sunlight exposure is not easily determined for a given individual.”

The risks to bone health don’t end in infancy.
A Canadian study released last year found that despite guidelines for its prevention, vitamin D-deficiency rickets in childhood is still seen in the country, with an annual incidence of 2.9 cases per 100,000.

Children living in countries where exposure to sunlight is low had the highest incidence, and most of the affected children had medium to dark skin tones and had been breast fed.

“Since there were no reported cases of breast-fed children having received regular vitamin D (400 IU/d) from birth who developed rickets, the current guidelines for rickets prevention can be effective but are not being consistently implemented,” the study concluded.

Adequate vitamin D levels in the blood are important because the body can’t absorb dietary calcium without vitamin D, so in its absence it steals calcium from the bones, which increases the risk of rickets, osteoporosis and fractures.

This also places teenagers at risk because they have weaker bones that are more likely to fracture.

Children at particular risk include infants who are breast-fed exclusively and don’t receive supplementation, children who use sunscreen in summer, children who don’t use sunscreen in the summer but spend less than 15 minutes a day in direct sunlight, children who receive no supplementation in the winter, and children with chronic diseases that affect fat malabsorption, such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease, according to the Hospital for Sick Children.

TORONTO (Reuters) - The human body is an amazing factory, with all kinds of parts working together to the make the chemicals necessary for good health. But one thing it can’t make on its own is vitamin D. Research shows that defect can be troubling, especially among children.

To create vitamin D, which plays an important role in bone health and development, the body needs exposure to sunlight. As we move into autumn, the days get shorter and colder and our exposure to sunlight decreases, making the colder months of the year a crucial time to watch vitamin D intake. Supplements can play an important role but one question is, how much?

Most of a child’s bone mass is built up early. A vitamin deficiency can prevent a child from building adequate bone mass now, and they won’t be able to make it all up later. Although a study released this week found that vitamin D deficiencies are common in children around the world, there is minimal data on how much supplementation is necessary or safe.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin directly or indirectly involved in several key body processes: regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, promoting bone formation and mineralization, restricting parathyroid hormone secretion and promoting anti-tumor activity. A review of medical literature on the vitamin published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine found that vitamin D is also associated with a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in children, and may inhibit future hip fracture.

The main source of vitamin D is sunlight, which the body uses to convert vitamin D into a useable form. It’s also found naturally in eggs and fatty fish like salmon or tuna, and milk and some breakfast cereals are fortified with the vitamin. The Institute of Medicine recommends that children get 200 IUs of vitamin D daily, but some experts say that up to 800 IUs is better.

This week’s study found that high doses of the vitamin were safe for children, whether taken over the short-term or for a longer period of time, and helped increased bone mass in 10-17-year olds.

Vitamin D deficiency is particularly a problem for North Americans, research shows, due in part to the higher latitudes at which they live. As well, because of concerns about skin cancer, many people now wear sunscreen, which inhibits the body’s ability to use sunlight to make the vitamin. The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto says that sunscreen with an SPF above 8 blocks all vitamin D production through the skin. And darker-skinned individuals living in Canada and the United States may be at particular risk because they have more melanin in their skin, which means they need more sunlight than a lighter-skinned person to make the same amount of vitamin D.

A study released this summer found that even children who are otherwise healthy can have low levels of vitamin D, and resulting low levels of bone mineral content. More than 12 percent of the 400 kids studied by researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston had levels of vitamin D in their blood low enough to qualify them as deficient, and 40 percent of the children had less than the recommended level
The risk for low vitamin D levels begins in infancy - breast milk, like cow’s milk, is naturally low in vitamin D. And if a mother doesn’t have enough vitamin D, her breast milk won’t either.

A vitamin D deficiency can affect bone growth even if there are no obvious problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that rickets (), bone softening that can lead to fractures and deformity, in infants due to low vitamin D intake is seen in several U.S. states. The agency recommends that breast-fed infants receive vitamin D supplement drops.

“It is recommended that all infants, including those who are exclusively breastfed, have a minimum intake of 200 IUs of vitamin D per day beginning during the first 2 months of life,” said a clinical report for the health agency done by Drs. Lawrence Gartner and Frank Greer. “In addition, it is recommended that an intake of 200 IUs of vitamin D per day be continued throughout childhood and adolescence, because adequate sunlight exposure is not easily determined for a given individual.”

The risks to bone health don’t end in infancy. A Canadian study released last year found that despite guidelines for its prevention, vitamin D-deficiency rickets in childhood is still seen in the country, with an annual incidence of 2.9 cases per 100,000. Children living in the northern part of the country, where exposure to sunlight is the lowest, had the highest incidence, and most of the affected children had medium to dark skin tones and had been breast fed.

“Since there were no reported cases of breast-fed children having received regular vitamin D (400 IU/d) from birth who developed rickets, the current guidelines for rickets prevention can be effective but are not being consistently implemented,” the study concluded.

Adequate vitamin D levels in the blood are important because the body can’t absorb dietary calcium without vitamin D, so in its absence it steals calcium from the bones, which increases the risk of rickets, osteoporosis and fractures. This also places teenagers at risk because they have weaker bones that are more likely to fracture.

Children at particular risk include infants who are breast-fed exclusively and don’t receive supplementation, children who use sunscreen in the summer, children who don’t use sunscreen in the summer but spend less than 15 minutes a day in direct sunlight, children who receive no supplementation in the winter, and children with chronic diseases that affect fat malabsorption, such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease, according to the Hospital for Sick Children.

Because natural sources are so rare, it’s difficult to get adequate vitamin D in the diet. One tablespoon of cod liver oil has 1,360 IUs, a serving of cooked salmon has 360, a cup of fortified milk has 98 and a whole egg has 20. Fifteen minutes of direct sunlight is enough for many people to reach their needs for vitamin D, but darker-skinned people need longer exposure and because winter sunlight in North America is indirect, supplementation may be recommended.

Do you supplement with extra vitamin D? Let us know: HealthMatters@reuters.com

People dealt with vitamin D deficiency at the turn of the 20th century. Who ever thought we’d be talking about rickets in 2008?

By Jennifer Fisher Wilson

Despite its familiarity, vitamin D is pretty puzzling. Not really a vitamin at all, it is actually a fat-soluble nutrient that is a prohormone (a precursor substance to a hormone). Milk is fortified with it, but it does not come in most other dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, and it occurs in significant levels naturally in only a few foods like fatty fish and fish oils. To fulfill the recommended daily intake with milk alone may take as much as 6 to 8 glasses, far more than most people drink, and so most people get the majority of their vitamin D from sun exposure. But wearing sunscreen significantly impairs the sun’s ability to activate vitamin D — wearing SPF 8 can reduce the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D by about 95 percent.

Until recently, nobody thought much about whether they got enough vitamin D from drinking milk or other foods or from the sun. But getting the so-called “sunshine vitamin” does matter because it plays a far more complex role in our health than anyone could have imagined just a decade or two ago.

Of course scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is important to keeping bones strong. Vitamin D signals the body to absorb calcium from food and so maintains normal blood calcium levels. When there isn’t enough vitamin D, the body doesn’t absorb enough calcium from the diet, and it instead removes calcium from stores in the bones, making them weak or brittle. Bone diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency include: rickets, the bone-deforming and potentially fatal condition that afflicted children for ages; osteomalacia, a muscle-weakening, bone-softening form of rickets that occurs in adults; and osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease.

Vitamin D’s role in bone health was pretty much the limit of scientific understanding back in the early 1990s when I met Michael F. Holick, professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine. The endocrinologist and vitamin D specialist met me in his office and told me about the discovery of vitamin D during the industrial age, when smoggy skies blocked the sun’s rays from people’s skin and led to an epidemic of rickets. Rickets mostly disappeared once doctors started prescribing cod liver oil and sunshine, and especially once governments mandated that milk be fortified with vitamin D in the 1930s. It doesn’t take much vitamin D to prevent rickets.

In between talking about vitamin D, Holick talked about his schooling in Wisconsin, about ice skating with his wife on their first date, about his adventures in industry developing a vitamin D-based psoriasis lotion, and about the glorious view of Boston from his office window. He introduced me to patients in his clinic that had bone disorders like osteoporosis. And he explained how rickets was now mostly confined to family pets like his own family’s iguana. Holick cured his captive reptile by serving it cream cheese and lettuce sandwiches, and by shining a sun lamp into the cage.

I was taken with this charismatic, energetic scientist. For a while I even tried to sell magazines an article on how to save pet iguanas from rickets. I was, not surprisingly, unsuccessful. But given time, a far larger and richer story about vitamin D has emerged, and much of it has come out of Holick’s office.

For one thing, rickets never really went away. Soon after our meeting, medical journals started reporting on cases diagnosed among children living in northern cities, as well as on a rise in cases of its adult form, osteomalacia. Scientists started to wonder if vitamin D deficiency was more common than they thought. A research group in Baltimore found that more than half of homebound adults over the age of 65 were severely vitamin D deficient.

To get sense of the scope of vitamin D deficiency in the wider community, Holick and colleagues measured vitamin D levels in younger people living in Boston. They found that it was surprisingly common. About 36 pecent of young adult city dwellers that worked office jobs were vitamin D deficient at the end of winter, and 11 percent were so at the end of summer. The emerging research also indicated that people with darker skin were more likely to be deficient than people with lighter skin, because they needed more time in the sun to convert vitamin D into an active hormone. Also, people who were overweight were more likely to be deficient, a result of the vitamin D becoming harder for the body to access from fat cells.

Suddenly, people again started paying attention to long-taken-for-granted vitamin D. Holick and others declared that the country was in the middle of a silent epidemic of vitamin D-deficiency, and warned that the health effects could be subtle but far-reaching. To combat the epidemic, Holick came out in 2004 with a book called The UV Advantage, which recommends sun exposure of 15 to 20 minutes a day while de-emphasizing skin cancer concerns. Some of his colleagues recoiled from his advice, feeling that people would take it as permission to sunbathe. After it also came to light that Holick received funding from the Indoor Tanning Association, he was forced to resign from the dermatology department at Boston University Medical School. (He still holds other positions there.)

Holick defended himself, saying his situation was no different than other doctors taking pharmaceutical money, and pursued his studies. Today he is still considered a leading expert in demystifying vitamin D. Building on what is now more than 30 years of research, last year he published a capstone review article in the New England Journal of Medicine that delineated just how important vitamin D is to the healthy body — and how many people need more of it.

Scientists now understand that most tissues and cells in the body have vitamin D receptors, including several that possess the machinery to convert it to the active form in the body. It is also now commonly believed that vitamin D helps maintain muscle strength and immune capability while also decreasing the risk for various chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type 1 and multiple sclerosis, and various cancers including colon, ovarian, breast, and prostate. Among the evidence is the fact that the further away from the equator — and the sun — that people live, the greater their chance of developing some of these health problems. (Some very northern cultures like the Inuit naturally compensate for the reduced sun exposure with a diet rich in fish oil.)

The work is not without its doubters. A National Cancer Institute study based on survey data has found no relationship between vitamin D levels and the overall risk of dying from cancer based on a 10-year follow-up, although it did find an association between decreased risk of colorectal cancer death and higher vitamin D levels. The findings are not completely clear because of the complex contributions to risk from total diet and lifestyle.

Large studies are also still needed to confirm the strength of the links between vitamin D and chronic diseases. In recent years such studies of several other vitamins turned out to be disappointing for their role in improving health. But remember, vitamin D is not a classic vitamin, and so these vitamin studies may not be relevant.

Only time and additional studies will elucidate further whether we should be paying more attention to vitamin D. Maybe eventually it will become clearer whether we should be worrying less about skin cancer and more about whether our skin is soaking up enough rays to fulfill our sunshine vitamin quota.

In the meantime, I wonder if Holick still has that iguana — they can live for 20 to 30 years — and whether it really beat rickets for good. • 19 March 2008

SOURCES: “Vitamin D deficiency in homebound elderly persons.” Gloth FM 3rd, Gundberg CM, Hollis BW, et al. JAMA. 1995;274:1683-6. “Vitamin D insufficiency among free-living healthy young adults.” Tangpricha V, Pearce EN, Chen TC, & Holick MF. Am J Med. 2002;112:659-62. “Vitamin D Deficiency.” Holick MF. N Engl J Med 357; 266-81. Prospective Study of Serum Vitamin D and Cancer Mortality in the United States, Freedman DM, Looker AC, Chang S-C, & Graubard BI, J Natl Cancer Inst 2007; 99:1594-1602

It sounds too good to be true… a little inexpensive pill that could block the development of some cancers, strengthen bones, prevent multiple sclerosis and alleviate winter depression.

But it’s not science fiction. The “new aspirin” could be Vitamin D. Just as we discovered that aspirin can guard against heart disease, Vitamin D could become a useful weapon in the fight against MS, osteoporosis, mild depression and one of the most devastating diseases of our time – cancer.

“As time has gone by, Vitamin D has raised its head as a sort of ambrosia for cancers,” says Dr. Louise Parker, an epidemiologist and a world expert in the environmental exposures that can lead to cancer. Or, in the case of Vitamin D, the lack of exposure.

“One of the most important sources of Vitamin D is from the sun and through your skin,” says Dr. Parker.

“Many parts of Canada don’t get much sun in the winter. We’ve also been telling people to cover up and use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer. Sunscreen actually impairs your (skin’s ability) to make Vitamin D.”

So the Canadian Cancer Society recommends that during the winter, Canadians take at least 1,000 units a day of Vitamin D, dubbed “the sunshine vitamin.”

Dr. Parker says 1,000 units a day is well beyond what you can obtain from your diet. Vitamin D is a bit of a rare vitamin, appearing only in fatty fish, cod liver oil and egg yolks. Even if you were to sunbathe in southern climates, you would not take in 1,000 units.

“If you were to lie naked on a beach in the Bahamas, and I don’t recommend that because of skin cancer, you cannot get up to the equivalent of 1,000 units of Vitamin D a day,” says Dr. Parker.

She notes Vitamin D as a factor is turning up in study after study. It turns out people with lung and colon cancer are Vitamin D deficient. And it helps the body absorb calcium. In a study examining whether women who took Vitamin D had a lower risk of osteoporosis, it was found the women taking Vitamin D had stronger bones than those who did not take the vitamin. Years later, researchers went back to that study and found that the women who took Vitamin D also had fewer cancers.

But before Vitamin D becomes the “new aspirin,” more research needs to be carried out.

Vitamin D works in very complicated ways, she says. It changes the way cells work. In fact, there is medical speculation that it may block cancer cell proliferation or improve immune system functions. But its role is not fully understood.

Lifestyle also has to be part of the equation. Dr. Parker is looking at how obesity, which we know can cause cancer, and exercise, which we know prevents cancer, could interact with Vitamin D. “At the population level, I am trying to understand how all these things fit together,” says Dr. Parker. “It’s very complex.” Dr. Parker describes it as looking for a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. “We know some of the jigsaw pieces, but not all,” she says.

Meanwhile, there is very little evidence that taking Vitamin D can harm you. Perhaps in huge doses it could cause kidney stones, but that has not been proven.

“On the average, 1,000 units a day is safe and is probably effective in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and maybe other cancers as well,” says Dr. Parker.

So does she take Vitamin D and recommend it? Absolutely. “I take 1,000 units of Vitamin D – one day on and one day off,” she says.

Source:

Dalhousie University via (http://www.newswise.com)

Dalhousie University (2008, February 16). A Ray Of Sunshine In The Fight Against Cancer:

Tacloban City (March 16) — Yes, Virginia. Filipino women can have healthy, glowing skin this Women’s Month and all year round, even without investing their paycheck in expensive serums and creams and dermal fillers. How? Through a skin-friendly diet.

Truly, a woman’s skin is best taken cared of and nurtured by a well-rounded diet that includes healthy fats, sufficient protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables, but there are a few standouts that make particular contributions to healthy, glowing skin.

First of all, women should eat fish. Fatty fish like salmon, tilapia and many others which abound in the area are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that bolster the skin barrier or the layer of lipids that hold on to moisture and keep irritants away.

Fish is also rich in Vitamin D. Remember, dermatologists increasingly emphasize sun avoidance, so there is a need to find other sources of this vitamin which is produced during sun exposure.

For women who do not eat fish, the good news is that eggs are also sources of omega-3 fatty acids, along with plant sources like nuts.

Another important part of a skin-friendly diet is Green Tea. It is inexpensive and has been researched as the most powerful anti-oxidant. Drinking at least three cups a day will fight aging and inflammation. So put down that soda Virginia and start drinking your way to healthier skin.

For vegetables, add more Broccoli in the diet. It is rich in vitamins A, C and K. Vitamin A decreases oil production; Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and Vitamin K prevents bruises.

Next on the list is virgin coconut oil. It helps prevent dry skin and inflammation and is essential for the formation of hormones that keep all the cells of the body functioning well. So try sauteeing your fish and your vegetable in virgin coconut oil and double those skin soothing effects. The secret is, you can drink your virgin coconut oil and get the best effect.

When it comes to boosting the skin’s defenses against anti aging, inflammation and skin cancer, antioxidants are very important so there is another food that must be added to the list- Nuts. A doctor friend always say that a handful of almonds every day boosts the levels of vitamin E, one of the most important anti-oxidants for skin health. However, since almonds may be difficult to find in the hinterlands, a handful of the native peanuts will do.

There, Virginia. Have these in your diet and off you go towards achieving a healthy, glowing skin not only during the month-long celebration of Women’s Month, but all year round. (PIA 8

IOWA CITY - If storm after storm is giving you the winter blues, we have some more bad news. It turns out a slip and fall on the ice could be especially dangerous if your vitamin D levels are low. And just about everyone living in Iowa is low right now.

In February our days are shorter and the skies are cloudy. Winter takes its toll on us mentally. But it is also a drain on our vitamin D. Experts say that can lead to all kinds of problems. Registered dietitian Sue Little said, “We’re at more risk for multiple sclerosis, higher risk for diabetes, higher risk for falls and muscle weakness. The list goes on.”

In the summer, Iowans only need to be outside for about 10 minutes to get enough vitamin D. But in February, it is a much different story. Little said, “You’d have to stay outside naked for like five hours to get enough vitamin d synthesis this time of year.”

There is simply not enough sun in Iowa in February to get all the vitamin D you need, so you need to go shopping. Little says a glass of milk a day will get you 10-percent of what you need. Fatty fish like salmon is also a good source of vitamin D. But your best bet might be a supplement. Little said, “I usually don’t recommend supplements, but for this situation we probably need one thousand IU’s per day.”

A vitamin D supplement will replenish what your body uses and loses in the winter. And little says nearly every Iowan needs more. Studies show three out of four of us are vitamin D deficient in February.

Little says a supplement should not replace vitamin D rich foods. The pills should be considered an addition to your diet.

Email Steve Nicoles at Steve.Nicoles@kcrg.com

Want to finally learn how to remove cellulite? Well, join the party. The truth is, everyone wants to eliminate cellulite and obtain that sexy body they used to have, or have always wished to have. The problem, though, is that no one knows what to do or how to start removing cellulite. In light of that, these 5 steps were created to help people achieve true, life changing cellulite reduction.
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