Vitamin D

Written By: Gina

I have been hearing a lot about Vitamin D as it pertains to getting sun lately. Is it good for you? If so, how much and how many minutes in the sun are effective? When is a good thing too much? Or when is a good thing just a good thing?

I live in Southern California, so I am used to getting plenty of sunshine. I guess I took living here for granted in that regard- figuring I was getting what I needed just by walking to my car or driving to the market. And some studies have shown that I am correct in my thinking- that by not actively seeking out the sun, I am still getting the Vitamin D I need from my daily activities to keep me healthy.

"Hundreds of studies now link vitamin D deficiency with significantly higher rates of many forms of cancer‚ as well as heart disease‚ osteoporosis‚ multiple sclerosis and many other conditions and diseases. While overexposure to sunlight carries risks, the cosmetic skin care industry has misled the public into believing that any UV exposure is harmful. No research has shown that regular, non-burning exposure to UV light poses a significant risk of skin damage. Humans spend less time in the sun today than at any point in human history – which is why more than 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient." ~sunshinevitamin.org

I keep reading that there is a magic number of minutes to get sunshine per day. It has even varied from 15-20 minutes per day as if 5 minutes can make or break you! I do agree that there are a few things you can do to avoid over-exposure to UV rays from the sun:

• Wear protective clothing when outdoors including long sleeves and a hat to protect major areas that burn
• Know that if you are near water, sand or snow, the suns rays reflect dangerous UV rays causing an increased chance of sunburn
• Avoid tanning beds (however some claim to be UVA AND UVB safe, they still increase risk for cancer)
• Use the proper SPF. Although SPF 15 is usually recommended, even using SPF 8 can decrease dangerous UV rays by 95%! Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours even if you are in overcast weather, and especially if you swim.

Dr. Mercola says, "Dr. Michael Holick was the first scientist to isolate the active forms of vitamin D, and he is responsible for redefining vitamin D deficiency, a concern that's now seen as a national epidemic. He fought against a number of entrenched ideas about sunlight over the past 20 years, warning that abstinence from direct sun exposure through sunblock use was leading to increasing vitamin D deficiency, with serious implications for cancer and other diseases." There is rumor that Boston College tried to fire Dr. Holick for going against mainstream medical thinking and challenging the issue...

I have come to the conclusion in my research that you need about 15 minutes of direct sun exposure at least 2 days per week to generate sufficient vitamin D levels in your body. While sunscreen helps prevent burning, there is varied opinion on what level SPF is necessary to protect your face and body from dangerous UVA and UVB rays. “Studies have not specifically linked the use of sunscreen by itself to a reduced risk of skin cancer or skin aging.” ~US Food and Drug Administration. Yes, that says US Food and Drug Administration.

Marianne Berwick, head of the Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention Program at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, takes a different view. “Sunscreen is probably effective against a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma,” she says, “but there’s little evidence that it prevents another type called basal cell carcinoma.” And there are no data showing that sunscreen protects against malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. ~AARP Bulletin

So I guess, for me, I will continue to go about my daily activities knowing I am getting the vitamin D I need. I will not allow myself to burn if I go to the beach and will continue to wear sunscreen on my face daily and body when I over expose. It almost says "common sense," right? And the paranoid mother that I am, I will continue to use SPF 50 on my kids....toxin free of course! For a list of better sunscreen choices, visit www.ewg.org

Enjoy the sun!
Gina