Sunshine Is Nature's Disease Fighter (Vitamin D)

[Guest guest]

Sunshine is Nature's Disease Fighter

 

 

Medical researchers are growing increasingly excited about a wonder

drug that may significantly reduce your risk of heart disease,

cancer, diabetes and many other diseases -- sunshine.

 

A recent study found that men who are deficient in vitamin D, which

your body produces in response to sunlight, have more than double the

normal risk of suffering a heart attack.

 

In fact, men with vitamin D levels below 15 nanograms per milliliter

had 2.5 times the risk of having a heart attack or dying -- even

after controlling for all other possible risk factors such as

hypertension, obesity and high lipid levels.

 

Another study found that low levels of vitamin D increased the risk

of diabetes, and yet another linked vitamin D deficiencies to an

increased risk of dying from breast cancer.

 

These findings all join a growing body of evidence indicating that an

adequate level of the vitamin, which many people can get from 20

minutes in the sun each day, is crucial to maintaining good health.

Sources:

Los Angeles Times June 10, 2008

Archives of Internal Medicine June 9, 2008; 168(11):1174-1180

 

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Dr. Mercola's Comments:

If spending some time in the sun each day this summer is not on your

list of priorities, I urge you to reconsider. This simple act can

drastically reduce your risk of major diseases like heart disease,

cancer and diabetes. Not to mention that the feel of the warm sun on

your skin is one of life's great pleasures -- and it's free, so what

have you got to lose?

 

The evidence just keeps pouring in.

 

It's no coincidence that northern countries (with less intense

sunlight and colder winters) have higher levels of heart disease than

sun-filled southern countries, and more heart attacks occur in the

winter months, when sunlight is scarce.

 

This recent study found that low vitamin D levels more than doubled

the risk of heart attack and death. That's a huge jump! Past studies

have also found that getting a daily dose of vitamin D boosts your

natural anti-inflammatory response, which can help to treat

congestive heart failure.

 

Just how does vitamin D help your heart?

 

Well, there are a number of mechanisms triggered by vitamin D

production that help fight heart disease, including:

 

An increase in your body's natural anti-inflammatory cytokines

The suppression of vascular calcification

The inhibition of vascular smooth muscle growth

Vitamin D also works by lowering insulin resistance, which is one of

the major factors leading to heart disease in the United States.

 

Using Sunlight for Your Health

 

Unfortunately, in the United States the sun has been vilified. Many

people have been convinced that staying out of the sun is necessary

to avoid cancer, when actually the exact opposite is true. Why would

anyone in their right mind want to exchange the risk of a few

harmless skin cancers with that of serious life-threatening

challenges like colon, breast, prostate and colon cancers?

 

Of course, you always want to avoid getting burned, but generally

speaking you can safely spend anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours

in the sun every day with beneficial effects. If you have dark-

colored skin or live far from the equator, you will need to spend

more time in the sun than someone who is light-skinned living close

to the equator.

 

If you are a person who regularly spends time outdoors, without

sunblock (sunblock screens out ultraviolet light, which interferes

with vitamin D production in your body), then your vitamin D levels

may be OK. However, most people spend a lot of time inside and do not

get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis.

 

For this reason, I strongly encourage you to have your vitamin D

levels tested. If you are currently facing chronic disease, it's even

more important that you get your levels checked, as vitamin D

deficiency could be a factor.

 

The test is a simple blood test called 25(OH)D, or 25-hydroxyvitamin

D. You can request it from just about any doctor, but ideally you

will get it from a holistic physician who understands the importance

of vitamin D, and can guide you into getting your levels optimized.

 

What's the Best Way to Get Vitamin D?

 

Sun exposure is always the best method of getting vitamin D, but some

people do need to take a vitamin D3 supplement to keep their levels

up. You should only do this under the care of a knowledgeable

physician, however, as you can overdose on vitamin D supplements.

 

In fact, the only time you don't need to worry about whether or not

you're getting too much, or too little, vitamin D is when your body

makes it naturally from the sun.

 

There is still massive confusion out there, even among health care

professionals, about what's healthy and what's not when it comes to

sunlight and vitamin D. For instance, certain vitamin D supplements

(vitamin D2) are highly inferior to vitamin D3, and should not be

taken.

 

Meanwhile, some doctors will tell you your vitamin D levels

are " normal " if they're over 20 ng/ml. In reality, your vitamin D

level should NEVER be below 32 ng/ml and should really be 45-52 ng/ml

to be optimal.

 

My new book, Dark Deception, is coming out shortly and it will help

to clear up all of this confusion once and for all.

 

 

 

 

Related Articles:

 

 

Lack of Sunshine Causes One Million Deaths a Year

 

BEWARE of Most Prescription Vitamin D Supplements!

 

The Depressing Truth About Vitamin D Deficiency

 

 

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2008/07/03/sunshine-is-nature-s-disease-fighter.aspx