http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-sunlight-could-prevent-alzheimers-and-cancer.html
How Sunlight Could Prevent Alzheimer’s and Cancer
In part one of this series on Vitamin D, Dr. Frank addresses the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency: 30 to 100 percent of Americans don’t get enough of this crucial hormone. This deficiency can play a role in almost every major disease including 17 kinds of cancer, MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He explains that since only about 10 percent of vitamin D comes from diet, the two best sources are the sun and supplements. In part two, Dr. Frank gives advises us on how to tell if we are vitamin D deficient. In this post, Dr. Frank addresses vitamin D toxicity, tanning beds and more.
My Doctor told me to avoid the sun, what do you think?
There is an old Italian saying “Where the sun does not go the doctor does.”
For about the last 25 years, doctors (dermatologists in particular) have demonized sun exposure and repeatedly told us it is bad for you and causes cancer. But is that true? In the last few years, numerous studies have shown that modest exposure to sunlight may actually be good for you, helping the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and protect against cancer, including skin cancer. Though repeated sunburns–in children and very fair-skinned people–have been linked to melanoma, there is no credible scientific evidence that moderate sun exposure causes it. Since it’s almost impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food alone (including fortified milk and fatty wild fish), sun is your best source. I’m not suggesting you go bake in the sun with your suntan oil or go to tanning salons. But getting some sun without getting sunburned makes healthy sense. We evolved in the sun; we were made to get some sun, not to live our lives indoors and slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. If the sun is shining where you are today, get out and enjoy it, talk about a free natural treatment! All you need is a little common sense when heading outdoors, do it gradually and always avoid sunburn. Special Note: Remember to take antioxidants when you sit in the sun, as these can help prevent skin cells from sun damage.
How much sunshine do you need?
All living things need sun, the key is balance. Too much sun exposure can cause melanoma and skin aging, while too little creates an inadequate production of vitamin D. The amount needed depends on the season, time of day, where you live, skin pigmentation and other factors. As a general rule, if you are not vitamin D deficient, about 20 minutes a day in the spring, summer and fall on your face and arms or legs without sunscreen is adequate. It doesn’t matter which part of the body you expose to the sun. Many people want to protect their face, so just don’t put sunscreen on the other exposed parts for those 20 minutes.
If you live north of 37 degrees latitude (approximately a line drawn horizontally connecting Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California) sunlight is not sufficient to create Vitamin D in your skin in the winter months, even if you are sitting in the sun in a bathing suit on a warm January day! The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D.
What about the use of tanning beds to get my vitamin D?
I tend not to recommend them because we don’t really know if they are safe. Because the light sources vary with different tanning beds, it makes them unpredictable and possibly unsafe. In addition, most commercial tanning beds emit an unknown amount of EMF and because one is so close to the actual bed, it may be an unnecessary high dose. Theoretically both these problems could be overcome, but in reality they usually are not.
Can I take cod liver oil to get my vitamin D?
Although Cod liver oil contains a fair amount of vitamin D, it also contains high amounts of vitamin A. Vitamin A antagonizes the action of vitamin D and can be toxic at high levels.
Next: What are food sources of vitamin D and what about vitamin D toxicity?
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14 comments
add your comment »Carol M .... Dr. Lipman said MODERATE sun exposure is good for us in producing vitamin D, but NOT all day exposure on a daily basis. You have to read the article closely.
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Thanks for this nice information. Lack of vitamin D may increase the risk of asthma caused by air pollution, scientists warn at the launch of a major investigation.
r4
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I am a vitamin D deficiency survivor. I had decreasing energy and increasing pain over a period of 5 years, particularly pelvic floor pain. I could barely sleep anymore and fell asleep at inopportune times such as at work, in class, and I couldn't drive anymore because I would fall asleep at the wheel. I was told I had pelvic floor inflammation and anxiety. 7 months after collapsing and 50-80% of my time bedridden, a vitamin D deficiency was found. I am now recovering. I have helped 7 people so far get their deficiency tested and treated by their doctors, who are mostly clueless. This is very real. The key is MODERATE sun exposure for vit D synthesis, food, and supplements. And re-testing to ensure proper blood levels. Please get yourselves tested. Every 100 IU's raises your blood level by 1 ng/ml. You want a blood level of 80 ng/ml per the latest research.
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You're kidding, right? My poor father-in-law worked out in the sun from daylight until dark most of his life, he was a heavy equipmnet operator. I wouldn't wish his death on anyone, bar none. The sun didn't stop his fate.
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It depends on you weather condition .I am allergic to dust and if I walk in the sun I get red tiny spots . Dr has prescribed to apply Diprovate before going out .
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My mom had Alzheimer's disease for eight years. As I was her caregiver, I noticed her change to the worse, from year to year, then month to month. The last three years were the hardest and her ability to function slowly disappeared. While she lived on the farm all her life she was outside much of the time. She received probably more sunlight than the normal city dweller as she helped my dad out in the fields. She lived to a ripe old age of 86 years and passed in November 2008. I don't believe the lack of vitamin D would have caused her ailment. I do believe medications that she took throughout her life may have contributed to the disease. For whatever reason, I have seen people continue to take medications that were really bad and unecessary. Beginning with my mom's generation, food, a good diet had been replaced when preservatives, chemical substitutes, and harsh medications. But her mind failed before everything else failed.
While we look at the people living in less stressful and more healthful areas in the world, we see the aged living longer lives and retaining their lucidity. The people of Crete, Sardinia, Kagoshima, Japan come to mind. These people do not eat preservatives, or are given medications to fix their problems. They work hard, eat fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, and seafood, but don't eat prepackaged foods. Their cattle aren't fed in stalls with unnatural substitutes and aren't given antibiotics. These people don't get diabetes either! But, the American do!
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Sorry about the miss spelled words, my key board is having an issue........
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ALSO, Did you know that 89% od diets, weight loss fads and drinks etc. are OWNERD IN PART OR WHOLE BY DOCTORS/PHARMACISTS and other medical feld people? Of course they want pressure to USE ALL their PRODUCTS which are NONSCENCE and do not work. MONEY, MONEY, TREND. I liked it when you could not claim anything worked if it DID NOT and could be jailed for false advertisement as well as being shut down permenetly. WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE IS THE LAWS PERTAINING TO CONSUMER FRAUD???? OH yea, our country is ran by the attornies that make money on this stuff. So much for AMERICAN JUSTICE...
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HERES THE PROBLEM PEOPLE WAKE UP TO IT. TREND, TREND, MONEY MAKING, TREND. Before, NO SUN it causes cancer. To much D can as well and even DEATH. NOW, GET SUN, TAKE as much as 60,000 units a week of D. Just like now the trend for the insurance companies is everything is caused by being 25 lbs over their stupid chart. Its simply a LOOPHOLE to DENY COVERAGE FOR 1,000 of diseases. Why are the companies using toxic cans not in trouble then? How about the Preservitives/additives which can cause caner not in the spot light either? How about all the THIN/SMALL ladies removing both breasts based on fear from Doctors, due to POSSIBLE CANCER based on the GENE? Now they say breast cancer is from OBESEITY. Its what is in the air, food, water, material items that cause the probs. NOT ALL FROM BEING OVER WEIGHT. A cancer gene is a gene reAther your fat or skinny. ITS SIMPLY A WAY TO NOT COVER SICKNESS. WAKE UP AMERICA to the abuse of the rich and AMA. Just like RAPE/SPOUSE ABUSE is NOT COVERED or DEMMED A MEDICAL PROBLEM it is DENIED COVERAGE based on ADVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCE. Now Cancer,colorectal, Breast, Lung, Panceatic, Kidney, Blader , stomach, intestenal ALL are considered NON-COVERED IF YOUR CONSIDERED OBEASE. READ THE NEW INSUDRANCE EXEMPTIONS CLOSELY. WORSE, The GOVERN. SUPPORTS THIS.
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If sunlight can prevent Alzheimers then few in sunny climes will get it. Do Swedes succumb to Alzheimers more than Moroccans? Not long ago we were warned that over 1,000 units of vitamin D intake was toxic. Now lots of D is OK. Is this current focus on D another fad like the focus on E and less than a decade ago?
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