Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics

[Guest guest]

Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics

Saturday, January 01, 2005 by: Mike Adams

 

 

http://www.newstarget.com/003069.html

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Fifteen facts you probably never knew about vitamin D and sunlight

exposure.(Compiled by Mike Adams, based on an interview with Dr.

Michael Holick, author, The UV Advantage)

 

Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast

cancer, and even effects diabetes and obesity. Vitamin D is perhaps

the single most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition.

 

That's probably because it's free: your body makes it when sunlight

touches your skin.

 

Drug companies can't sell you sunlight, so there's no promotion of

its health benefits. Truth is, most people don't know the real story

on vitamin D and health. So here's an overview taken from an

interview between Mike Adams and Dr. Michael Holick.

 

Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to

ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.

 

The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in

your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don't generate vitamin D

when sitting in your car or home.

 

It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from

your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate

vitamin D in your own body.

 

The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need

to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most

U.S. states are far from the equator.

 

People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much

exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same

amount of vitamin D. That's why prostate cancer is epidemic among

black men -- it's a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.

 

Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in

your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot

absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.

 

Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes

months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild

the body's bones and nervous system.

 

Even weak sunscreens (SPF=8) block your body's ability to generate

vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause

disease -- by creating a critical vitamin deficiency in the body.

 

It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from

sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate

what it needs.

 

If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering

from chronic vitamin D deficiency right now.

 

Vitamin D is " activated " in your body by your kidneys and liver

before it can be used.

 

Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body's

ability to activate circulating vitamin D.

 

The sunscreen industry doesn't want you to know that your body

actually needs sunlight exposure because that realization would mean

lower sales of sunscreen products.

 

Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals

in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription

required.

 

On the issue of sunlight exposure, by the way, it turns out that

super antioxidants greatly boost your body's ability to handle

sunlight without burning. Astaxanthin is one of the most

powerful " internal sunscreens " and can allow you to stay under the

sun twice as long without burning. Other powerful antioxidants with

this ability include the superfruits like blueberries, etc.

 

 

Diseases and conditions cause by vitamin D deficiency:

 

Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which

greatly impairs calcium absorption.

Sufficient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer,

ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer and schizophrenia.

" Rickets " is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D

deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate type 2 diabetes and impair

insulin production in the pancreas.

Obesity impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning obese

people need twice as much vitamin D.

Vitamin D is used around the world to treat Psoriasis.

Vitamin D deficiency causes schizophrenia.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by a melatonin imbalance

initiated by lack of exposure to sunlight.

Chronic vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia

because its symptoms are so similar: muscle weakness, aches and

pains.

Your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and cancer is

reduced 50% - 80% through simple, sensible exposure to natural

sunlight 2-3 times each week.

Infants who receive vitamin D supplementation (2000 units daily)

have an 80% reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes over the next

twenty years.

 

 

Shocking Vitamin D deficiency statistics:

32% of doctors and med school students are vitamin D deficient.

40% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient.

42% of African American women of childbearing age are deficient in

vitamin D.

48% of young girls (9-11 years old) are vitamin D deficient.

Up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deficient.

76% of pregnant mothers are severely vitamin D deficient, causing

widespread vitamin D deficiencies in their unborn children, which

predisposes them to type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis

and schizophrenia later in life. 81% of the children born to these

mothers were deficient.

Up to 80% of nursing home patients are vitamin D deficient.

 

 

What you can do:

Sensible exposure to natural sunlight is the simplest, easiest and

yet one of the most important strategies for improving your health.

I urge you to read the book, " The UV Advantage " by Dr. Michael

Holick to get the full story on natural sunlight. You can find this

book at most local bookstores or through BN.com, Amazon.com, etc.