[HSI] Sunny Side of the Street- Benefits of Sunshine

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Misty L. Trepke

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Sunny Side of the Street

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

 

December 22, 2003

 

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Dear Reader,

 

Up here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is long past, so the

typical summertime advice to coat yourself with sunscreen, wear

a ten gallon hat, and wrap yourself from ankles to eyebrows to

avoid the sun's rays has been put on the back burner for a few

months.

 

In the meantime, a recent item in a major medical journal

provides an important reminder of just how important it is to

let some sunshine into your day - especially if you live way up

north. But even if you don't live in the extreme northern

latitudes, there's one vitamin supplement that's essential

during the darker winter months.

 

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Alaskans and Englishmen

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As I've told you in several e-Alerts (most recently in " SPF 2 "

10/8/03), the sun is not an enemy to our health. On the

contrary, sunlight exposure is essential to good health. The key

is balance. Too much sun is just as unhealthy as too little.

 

This concept is generally not embraced by the mainstream medical

establishment, so it was refreshing to find confirmation of the

health properties of sun exposure in a letter published in a

recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The author of

the letter is Professor Cedric F. Garland of the University of

California. And his opinions about sun exposure come from his

participation in more than two decades of research on this

subject.

 

Prof. Garland's letter is in response to an earlier editorial in

BMJ in which the authors advised avoiding sun exposure to reduce

the incidence of cancer. But Prof. Garland says that a

recommendation of moderate exposure to the sun would be more

prudent.

 

He explains that " Solar exposure is the main source of vitamin

D, " and goes on to cite specific studies that demonstrate how

vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of several cancers,

including colon, breast, and prostate. He adds that the body can

only store vitamin D for a few weeks, so those who live in

northern latitudes would be helped by vitamin D supplements.

 

And you don't have to be a polar explorer to find yourself

vitamin D deficient. Prof. Garland says that people living in

the UK are unable to synthesize vitamin D from November to

March. But the UK is pretty far north; parts of Scotland are on

the same latitude as Alaska. So what about those of us who live

further south, but not so far south that palm trees grow outside

our windows?

 

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From Phoenix to Boston

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In a study that appeared in the journal Cancer last year, the

lead author, Dr. William B. Grant, set out to determine an

association between premature deaths from cancer and

insufficient ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. Comparing UV-B data

with cancer mortality rates in the U.S. between 1970 and 1994,

Dr. Grant found a clear correlation between low UV-B radiation

exposure and mortality due to 13 different types of cancer.

These cancers include the cancers mentioned in Prof. Garland's

research, as well as pancreatic, stomach, kidney, lung, and

other cancers.

 

More specifically, Dr. Grant found that the rates of these

cancers are almost twice as high among those who live in

northeastern states compared to residents of the southwest. He

concludes that many lives could be saved by " increased careful

exposure to solar UV-B radiation. " He also recommends

supplementation with vitamin D3 (vitamin D from fish liver

oils), especially in late autumn and winter.

 

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The Wright way

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In the February 2002 issue of Nutrition and Healing newsletter,

Dr. Jonathan Wright makes clear the profound importance of

vitamin D: " Although the final proof isn't in (and probably

won't be in our lifetimes), it's very likely that if you're over

40 and supplement your diet with a generous amount of vitamin D,

you can lower your risk of prostate, breast, and bowel cancer

along with your risk of 'essential' hypertension, osteoporosis,

and tuberculosis. Young adults can lower their risk of multiple

sclerosis as well. "

 

Dr. Wright recommends a daily vitamin D intake between 1600 and

2000 IUs - and as much as 4000 IUs for those over 40. According

to Dr. Wright, it's impossible for most people to get enough

vitamin D from the sun alone, and he discourages the use of

dairy products because of the many other health concerns they

raise. Instead, he suggests other food sources like salmon and

sardines, or even good old-fashioned cod liver oil, which

provides more than 1300 IUs of vitamin D per tablespoon.