Safely Harness the Benefits of the Sun	
	
June 2, 2005 - Summer is officially here with the Memorial Day weekend behind us. The sun worshippers are already coming out of the woodwork. Most of us now will enjoy more outdoor activities, the warmth of the sun on our skin and sense that the extra hours of sunlight improves our mood. Yet, we must be mindful of the sun's power and enjoy it in moderation. We certainly know that excessive sunlight can cause premature wrinkling of skin and other skin disorders, including deadly malignant melanoma. However, there can be beneficial aspects to the sun's rays, and a few recent studies have focused on its ability to help us reach our very important daily allowance of Vitamin D - a vitamin that is getting more and more credit as a possible anti-cancer nutrient. 
As many of you are undoubtedly aware, last week there was a lot of hoopla in the press when some highly-respected scientists made the claim that sunshine may actually prevent cancer. Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a Harvard University professor of medicine and nutrition, discussed these matters in a keynote lecture at a recent meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. His research suggested that the Vitamin D gained from exposure to sunlight might actually prevent 30 deaths for each one it causes from skin cancer. 
Dr. Giovannucci told his audience of cancer scientists, "I would challenge anyone to find an area or nutrient or any factor that has had such consistent anti-cancer benefits as Vitamin D." The press indicated that the lecture was so impressive that chief epidemiologist for the American Cancer Society, Dr. Michael Thun, is reviewing the society's sun protection guidelines. 
Dr. Giovannucci isn't the only one researching Vitamin D's benefits. In the three months prior to his report, there have been four separate studies indicating that Vitamin D appeared to have a protective effect against certain cancers such as lymphoma, as well as cancer of the prostate, lung and, ironically, even the skin. The strongest evidence for prevention appeared to be for colon cancer. 
Additionally, there are currently about a dozen major studies underway, exploring Vitamin D's effect on cancer, according to Dr. Greenwald, who is chief of cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute. He indicates that there have been two recent studies reporting encouraging signs in prostate and lung cancer with use of Vitamin D. Needless to say, it looks like you should be making sure that you're getting the proper amount of Vitamin D every day.
Currently, it is uncertain exactly how Vitamin D lowers your rate of cancer, but a series of medical studies and observations have given us some important insights: First, there have been lab and animal studies indicating that Vitamin D inhibits abnormal cell growth; second, cancer is more common in the elderly, and not surprisingly, the skin makes less Vitamin D as you age; third, African-Americans statistically have a higher risk of cancer than Caucasians, which could likely be related to the increased pigment in their skin, preventing them from making as much Vitamin D. Finally, it should be noted that Vitamin D is stored in fat, so obese individuals tend to have lower blood levels of Vitamin D. No shock, as it turns out, obese people tend to have higher rates of cancer. 
So while the evidence mounts for the benefits of Vitamin D, there is some controversy, however, as to how best to get it. 
Dr. Michael Holick, an endocrinologist, published a book called The UV Advantage, urging people to get enough sunlight to make Vitamin D. He seemed to play down some of the dangerous aspects of excessive sun exposure. He indicated that skin cancer was rarely fatal, and that the most deadly form of skin cancer is melanoma which will account for less than 7,800 deaths out of over 570,000 cancer deaths expected to occur in the United States this year. I guess that is an "acceptable" level, unless you're one of the over 20 people per day dying from melanoma. I've personally seen many patients over the years who have developed metastatic cancer from malignant melanoma. If the melanoma is not successfully removed surgically when first diagnosed (at the origin), it can spread - and if it does, there is very little effective treatment that is available. It frequently reaches the nervous system and brain, where cancer mortality is extremely high. So the statistics might not fully represent the potential fatality associated with overexposure to sunlight. 
In my opinion, the problem with sunlight as your primary source of Vitamin D is that there are too many variables such as the time of day, time of year, skin pigment of the individual, where the individual lives, etc. Personally, I think the notion of sunbathing is dangerous and illogical. Certainly sitting in the sun for fifteen or twenty minutes without sunscreen should not be harmful for most individuals. However, for any additional exposure, I recommend UV sunscreen block. Keep in mind that when you develop a tan, it occurs at the expense of damaging your skin. I'm sure that many of you have seen older, well-tanned individuals with excessive wrinkles. This happens because of the multiple exposures of sun to the skin causing repeated damage. Since Vitamin D is readily available in supplement form, it makes a lot more sense to utilize this modality.
Dr. Thun seemingly agrees, and expressed his own concern that people may go overboard given even a hint of encouragement to get more sunlight. He reportedly prefers that people get their Vitamin D from food or pills. Vitamin D3 in supplement form is the most potent and beneficial without deadly side effects at normal dosages.
Although Vitamin D is found naturally in salmon and other oily fish and is routinely added to milk, in point of fact, diet accounts for very little of the Vitamin D circulating in blood according to Dr. Giovannucci. Subsequently, government advisors are having difficulty agreeing on what is the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin D, with ranges anywhere from 200 to 600 International Units (IU). Many scientists, however, think that adults need at least 1,000 IU a day, and Dr. Giovannucci's research suggests that 1,500 IU may be needed to significantly curb cancer. Nutrition experts think that Vitamin D supplements may be especially helpful during the winter and for dark-skin people all the time. Dr. Bruce Hollis of the Medical University of South Carolina writes, "New scientific evidence suggests that the Recommended Daily llowance (RDA) for Vitamin D should be much higher to achieve adequate nutritional Vitamin D status, especially in the African-American population because of their pigmentation." 
It should be noted that too much Vitamin D can lead to an increase in calcium buildup. The government indicates that 2,000 IU daily is the upper limit for anyone over one year old. 
As usual, Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) is on the cutting edge for your nutritional health. For years now, we have been including larger doses of Vitamin D3, otherwise known as cholecalciferol, in our products. Vitamin D3 is the preferred form of Vitamin D and is a vital nutrient that is unique, both in terms of its physiology and human reliance on both endogenous skin production and exogenous sources to meet biological requirements. Beside the potential cancer benefits we discussed earlier, Vitamin D3 has been linked with possible benefits for healthy cardiovascular function, bones, blood pressure and mood balance.
All of our Synergy multi-vitamins contain a minimum of 700 IU and as much as 1,500 IU per day of Vitamin D3 - the best form. Compare this to most other brands on the market that typically utilize only 400 IU of Vitamin D. Many may use the inferior form of Vitamin D called D2, which is clearly less potent than Vitamin D3. 
We also recently released a stand-alone Vitamin D product, with each capsule containing 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3. Please keep in mind that Vitamin D appears to work synergistically with calcium especially when it comes to reducing the risk of colon cancer. The best form of calcium is in the form of calcium citrate malate. As a side note, I urge you to be careful when thinking that you are getting enough calcium from your diet. There was recently a study published indicating that fortified orange juice with calcium may in some cases provide less calcium than stated on the label. Of course when taking calcium, you should also take magnesium, typically in a ratio of 1 mg of magnesium for every 2 mg of calcium. NSI has a superior Vitamin D/calcium citrate malate/magnesium formula that makes it easy to keep the proper balance of all 3 critical nutrients. 
As we enter the lazy, hazy days of summer, keep in mind that the sun is obviously your friend, but also can do you harm if you get over-exposed. Be sensible when you are out in the mid-day sun; that sunburn could have some devastating effects down the road. And please remember to keep taking your Vitamin D every day, preferably in an NSI Synergy multi-vitamin. To review all 12 versions of Synergy you have to choose from, click here.
For more information on Vitamin D please visit our science section here.