What you need to know about Vitamin D

How Long is Too Long in the Sun?

This is the tricky part and most often misunderstood. Obviously, there’s plenty of data to back up that being in the sun too long without protection can lead to skin cancers. The flipside is that being in the sun too little might lead to cancer as well.

You may think that applying some sunscreen will get you the best of both worlds, but sadly sunscreen has been shown to block upwards to 95% of vitamin D uptake from the sun.(6)

What are you to do?

A good solution is to spend fifteen minutes in the sun and then apply your sunscreen. It’s suggested that fifteen minutes a day can be enough. However, for a lot, that isn’t the case. And unless you’re living below 42 degrees North latitude (a line approximately between the northern border of California and Boston), in the wintertime you aren’t going to get it at all.(7)

Studies also show that if you’re African America or Hispanic then you need near double what Caucasians need.(8,9)

The Do’s and Don’ts of Vitamin D

If you find yourself stuck inside, above the magic line, or of darker skin, then you might need to look at better options of getting vitamin D.

1. Don’t be obese: Obesity blocks vitamin D intake by as much as 55%.

2. Don’t be scared of the sun: We’re a culture of extremes and look at where it’s got us. You need some sun, so don’t be afraid of it. Just call it quits before you burn like a lobster.

3. Do eat cod liver oil: Cod liver oil in supplement form is a really simple and easy way to get in lots of D3 during those months when you may not be able to.

4. Don’t be scared of the tanning bed: If you’ve ever known a friend with an iguana or turtle, then you know that in order to survive they need those ultraviolet exposures. Well, so do you!

Exposure to tanning beds resulted in a 100% increase in blood concentrations of vitamin D.(10) The problem is, just as with the sun, people take things too far. It’s a great way to get what you need in the winter months, but the same “don’t overdo it” rules apply.

5. Do get tested: In general, you should be getting a full vitamin and mineral testing every six months. Is it time for a checkup?

6. Do hit the numbers: While 400 IU is the recommend dosage, there’s nothing wrong with getting 1,000 IU, especially from D3, and namely during the “off season.”

7. Do take this seriously: I’m not usually one for dramatics, but there are so many low level health problems that can lead to higher level problems, and issues from a vitamin D deficiency can be really simple to solve.

Take it seriously; get in your sun, get in your oils, and take advantage of the problems you can fix every chance you get.

—

References

1. An evaluation of the vitamin D3 content in fish: Is the vitamin D content adequate to satisfy the dietary requirement for vitamin D?

2. Nutrition Coordinating Center. Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R). Version 4.06/34. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2003.

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, 2003.

4. Houghton LA, Vieth R. The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:694-7.

5. Nesby-O’Dell S, Scanlon KS, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Hollis BW, Looker AC, et al. Hypovitaminosis D prevalence and determinants among African-American and white women of reproductive age: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:187-92.

6. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/80/6/1678S.pdf

7. Cranney C, Horsely T, O’Donnell S, Weiler H, Ooi D, Atkinson S, et al. Effectiveness and safety of vitamin D. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 158 prepared by the University of Ottawa Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-02.0021. AHRQ Publication No. 07-E013. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2007.

8. Nesby-O’Dell S, Scanlon KS, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Hollis BW, Looker AC, et al. Hypovitaminosis D prevalence and determinants among African-American and white women of reproductive age: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:187-92.

9. Yetley EA. Assessing vitamin D status of the U.S. population. Am J Clin Nutr. In press.

10. Holick, M. F. (2004). Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79, 362-371.

Source: Examiner.com

Vitamin D on the MSNBC

Click on the image to view the video.

Stop chronic aches and pains with vitamin D

As the winter approaches, aches and pains increase as vitamin D levels, already too low in most people, begin to plummet. Bringing vitamin D levels up can often alleviate or eliminate the pain.
For instance, Dr. Stewart Leavitt recently posted the results of a review of 22 scientific studies on the relationship of vitamin D deficiency to chronic pain. (http://Pain-Topics.org/VitaminD). This 2008 analysis is just the latest of many studies on vitamin D and pain, most of which have been ignored by the physicians that treat the disorder. In total, there were 3,670 patients with chronic pain, and 48% of them showed significant vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation was very helpful in alleviating the pain. Dr. Leavitt states: “When supplementation was provided for improving vitamin D status, pain and/or muscle weakness were resolved or at least subsided in most cases, and there were associated improvements in physical functioning.”

This has actually been known for about 25 years, but because it sells no drugs, it has been virtually ignored. Vitamin D sufficient to keep optimal levels in the blood can be purchased at Bio-Tech Pharmacal for about $10.00 per year, and sunlight—the most natural way to increase vitamin D, is free. Unfortunately, sunlight produces vitamin D only during the late spring through early fall in high latitudes.

The Powers of Darkness (the pharmaceutical/medical complex that has succeeded in frightening most people out of the sunlight) have created a shocking and widespread vitamin D deficiency that is manifesting itself in increased rates of cancer, heart disease, autism, diabetes and myriad other maladies, not the least of which is chronic pain.

Other research has shown similarly impressive results. In one interesting study, conducted on chronic pain patients in Minneapolis, Minnesota (45 degrees north latitude), it was found that 100% of African Americans, American Indians, East Africans and Hispanics were vitamin D deficient, as were most Caucasians.[1] In summer sunlight, dark-skinned people take up to 6 times as long to produce the same amount of vitamin D as light skinned people, making dark skinned people much more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency. Indoor lifestyles and the advice to slather with sunscreen, which can reduce vitamin D production during sunlight exposure by 99.5%[2] puts dark-skinned people at a considerable vitamin D deficiency disadvantage. In addition, during the winter at high latitudes in areas such as Minneapolis, there are several months where little or no vitamin D is produced by the skin due to the sun’s position in the southern sky; the UVB portion of sunlight that stimulates vitamin D production is filtered out by the atmosphere during those months. This is known as “vitamin D winter” and is especially important in the northern US, northern Europe and all of Canada. It is absolutely essential for dark-skinned adults to take vitamin D supplementation of 4,000 to 5,000 IU per day year around or regularly use a tanning bed to stave off pain and to reduce the excessive risk of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, etc., that plague them. It is also critical for most Caucasians during winter.

Another impressive result comes from a clinical observation of five vitamin D-deficient patients who suffered from myopathy, a disease of bone and muscle tissue. They were confined to wheelchairs and experienced severe fatigue, weakness, and chronic pain. After receiving 50,000 IU per week of vitamin D, all regained enough strength and energy within four to six weeks to be mobile and functional, and their aches and pains disappeared.[3] Other research reported that five chronic-pain patients at John Hopkins University Medical School were treated with vitamin D, and their pain resolved within a week![4]

Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory and also helps to strengthen bone, joint and muscle tissue. Be sure to maintain optimal levels (50 ng/ml or 125 nmol/L) in order to avoid the aches and pains of winter.


[1] Plotnikoff G. et al. Prevalence of severe hypovitaminosis D in patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003;78:1463-70.
[2] Matsuoka, L. et al. sunscreens suppress cutaneous vitamin D3 synthesis. J Clin Endocrinology & Metab 1987; 64:1165-68.
[3] Prabhala, A. et al. Severe myopathy associated with vitamin D deficiency in western New York. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1199-1203.
[4] Gloth, F. et al. Can vitamin D deficiency produce an unusual pain syndrome? Arch Intern Med 1991;152:1662-4.

Source: drsorenson.blogspot.com

Vitamin D Directly Affects Thyroid Function in Mice

FRIDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D may directly affect thyroid function, according to research in a preclinical animal model published online Oct. 16 in Endocrinology.

Alexander Misharin of the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles and colleagues tested the role of vitamin D in a mouse model of Graves' disease, in which hyperthyroidism is induced by immunization with an adenovirus encoding the thyrotropin receptor. Because it was previously established that vitamin D enhances regulatory T cells, the authors hypothesized that decreasing vitamin D through a controlled diet would intensify the severity of Graves' disease in the model.

Vitamin D deficiency induced only small immunological changes. Unexpectedly, the vitamin D-deprived mice developed persistent hyperthyroidism following immunization, unlike their vitamin D-sufficient matched controls. This disparity was not explained by any immunological difference, and the authors speculated that the persistent hyperthyroidism was instead caused by an increased sensitivity of the thyroid to the antibodies directed against thyrotropin.

"Rather than affecting the immune response, the most important effect of vitamin D deficiency was on the thyroid," the authors write, providing evidence for the role of an environmental factor, vitamin D, on thyroid function.

Abstract

Vitamin D and infertility

We previously discussed the relationship of fertility to vitamin D, but a new report adds credence to the idea that infertility may be due in great part to vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Anne Clark, who works at the Fertility First clinic in Sydney, Australia, assessed the blood levels of vitamin D among about 800 men who were unable to produce a pregnancy in their wives. About a third had low levels of vitamin D. Interestingly, after a regimen of lifestyle changes (stopped smoking, coffee drinking and alcohol consumption) and vitamin D supplementation, 40% of the men were able to impregnate their wives, probably due to improvement in the quality of sperm.
Dr Clark stated that "Vitamin D and folate deficiency are known to be associated with infertility in women, but the outcomes of the screening among men in our study group came as a complete surprise."

Though it may have surprised Dr. Clark, the results of her findings should not be surprising to those who read my previous blog on vitamin D and infertility. In that blog, I mentioned that female rats mated to vitamin D-deficient males produced 73% fewer pregnancies. Nearly all tissues of the body contain vitamin D receptors (VDR). For the testes to function properly, those receptors must be stimulated by vitamin D. For couples who are having difficulties in producing a pregnancy, this information is critically important.

Source: drsorenson.blogspot.com/

How to Get Your Vitamin D in the Winter

(NaturalNews) Over the last year, the evidence has been mounting that getting enough vitamin D is absolutely essential for our health and wellbeing. Without question, the best source of vitamin D comes from sunshine, the source of all life. This is contrary to the advice that has been given in the past, and is still given, by many doctors and other health practitioners which say the sun is dangerous and we need to avoid it as much as possible. But what do we do if we live in a place where there is not enough sunshine for us to have our essential dose of this vitamin? Unless people live in a warm and sunny place that is not too far away from the equator, getting enough sunlight in the winter is extremely difficult.

Among other complaints, vitamin D deficiency can result in:

•Osteoporosis

•Cancer, especially bone, breast and prostate

•Adrenal Insufficiency

•Alzheimer's disease

•PMS

•Depression (especially in the winter)

•Parkinson's

For those who live in a place where there is not a lot of strong sunshine during the winter months, it is essential to find ways of getting this important vitamin. Here are 6 things that we can do to guarantee we get enough vitamin D this winter:

1.Spend as much time outdoors as possible to take advantage of what little sun there is, especially if you live in a place such as the southern part of the England which is often grey, but is still fairly mild and has bouts of sun most weeks. If it is a sunny day, eat your lunch outside and go for a walk, even if your face and hands are the only part of you that isn't covered up. It may not be your entire dose of vitamin D, but it is a start and breathing in fresh air will be beneficial on many levels.

2.Don't wear sunscreen. It is amazing how many skin creams, especially the expensive ones, come with sunscreen in them. This of course is due to the misguided view that we should never be out in the sun without sunscreen on. We must maximize the little amount of sunshine that we have access to, which means avoiding sunscreen. Further, creams with sunscreen in them are often highly toxic for our bodies.

3.Sun showers are vertical tanning units which are often available at health clubs and beauty salons. They increase the amount of vitamin D in the body. Three minutes is all that is needed to bring a little piece of summer into your life. People claim that sun showers completely transform their winters.

4.While pasteurizing milk destroys the vitamin D, unpasteurized milk still has this precious vitamin, as well as many other health enhancing nutrients in tact. It is also worth noting that a lot of pasteurized milks claim to be fortified with vitamin D; however it is much more difficult for the body to use fortified nutrients than the real thing.

5.Mackerel, salmon, and egg yolks are the foods with the highest amount of vitamin D, so if you are not a vegetarian, eat more of these foods in the winter. In saying that, make sure that you are getting fish that is from clean waters so that you don't pollute your body with toxins that are found in the sea. Alaskan wild salmon is one of the cleanest fish you can eat because the waters there are still relatively unspoiled. And non organic eggs are packed with chemicals, hormones and antibiotics that you don't want to go near.

6.Vitamin D can be found in cod liver oil. Again, make absolute sure that the brand you are using is of the absolute highest quality. Really research which brand is most pure.

Source: Natural News

Vitamin D: The Real Facts,Truths, and Sources of The Sun Vitamin

When you research, read, and watch the news as much as I do, you can see the new nutrient and supplement trends coming a mile away. Sometimes they’re valid, other times they aren’t. I can say for certain to buckle up and hop on the D-train because it’s here to stay. In fact, this isn’t a newly found miracle baby; this is an age old savior that we’ve been neglecting.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble steroid hormone (and if we weren’t playing fast and loose with the terminology, it technically isn’t a vitamin at all). The main job of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Note that’s the main job. It’s said that over 200 genes are affected by vitamin D. It doesn’t matter where you turn, its uses are everywhere. Bone, heart, insulin, depression, pain, happiness, cancer, fibromyalgia, thyroid… you name it, vitamin D plays a role.

Michael F. Holick, a leading researcher on the importance of vitamin D, has said that “Vitamin D deficiency is the disease of neglect.”

And he couldn’t be more right.

The cure for rickets — a widespread epidemic in the children of the softening of the bones — was found by sticking children on the roof of a building. Can you sit there and take that in for a moment? An illness that was making the limbs of children turn into mush was cured by the sun.

You may wonder what this has to do with you, but bones should be your pride and joy. Not to mention the fact that recent studies show an alarming rate of newborns and mothers are becoming more and more deficient. Are past problems coming back to bite us in our vitamin-deficient rears?

Beyond just bones, being too low in vitamin D can lead to a decrease in thyroid function. Although not directly involved in synthesis or secretion, a deficiency can produce increases in the levels of parathyroid hormone.

On the wellbeing side, an increased occurrence of depression and a decrease in mental focus have been found time and time again. There are also links that have shown women who supplement with vitamin D may lose fat easier than those who don’t.

Currently, the desired levels are 30 to 75 ng/mL-nmol/L, and anything less is seen as deficient, though higher doesn’t necessary mean you’re at a toxic level. The concern is for consistent levels above the 200 range.

The bottom-out number should really be 30; however, we’re seeing study after study show that levels are constantly hitting below this all around the world, and the aftereffect is becoming an epidemic.

ng/mL	nmol/L	Status
<>	<>	These levels suggest severe illness, usually seen in rickets or sick infants.
<>	<>	While not directly or instantly crippling, these levels overtime may contribute to illness both acute and chronic.
≥ 30	≥ 75	Seen by some to be the desired range and achieving of optimal health.
Consistently > 200	Consistently > 500	Could be toxic and lead to hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and health

How Do You Get It?

Vitamin D is the “sun vitamin,” meaning that you should receive 80 to 100% of your intake from the sun. When ultraviolet (UV) rays hit the skin, they’re absorbed and converted, setting into motion your body’s process of creating vitamin D. In truth, this should be the end all for receiving your daily intake.

However, things just aren’t that simple.

What About Food Intake?

Vitamin D can be found in small amounts in certain fishes, fortified milks, and egg yolks.

The problem is that the intake would have to consist of very high levels and multiple times daily to give you the effects you need. It also would depend on the quality of your food. With fish, for instance, it’s been shown that farmed salmon (fish raised in tiny boxes eating crappy fish food) held at least 25% less vitamin D than wild-caught salmon.(1)

Take-home point being, if you think that the Wal-Mart fish nutrients are doing something for you, think again. What they eat is what you eat. As well, the fortified milk and cereal claims of vitamin D can be off by as much as 80% of what the label says.

Here’s a chart that gives you a general rundown of food sources for vitamin D:

Food	IU per serving	Percent DV
Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon	1,360	340
Salmon, cooked, 3.5 ounces	360	90
Mackerel, cooked, 3.5 ounces	345	90
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces	200	50
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1.75 ounces	250	70
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup	98	25
Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon	60	15
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV)	40	10
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk)	20	6
Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces	15	4
Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce	12	4

Selected food sources of vitamin D (2,3)

Differences in Vitamin D

Vitamin D comes in two main forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). There’s a D1, D3, and D5, but in short, their importance and our control of them isn’t the main topic here.

Vitamin D2 is made by the UV irradiation of ergosterol in yeast, and vitamin D3 is made by the irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol from lanolin and the chemical conversion of cholesterol.

It’s suggested that D3 is far superior to D2 at raising levels in the body and holding them higher for extended periods of time.(4,5) Because of this, if you’re going the supplement route for your intake of vitamin D, D3 is the winner of the group.

The overall goal of vitamin D is to raise serum levels in the body and do so as best as possible. To date, both D2 and D3 supplements at prescription-grade levels have shown to do this. D2, however, has been shown to be toxic at higher levels. (It should be noted that you can’t achieve toxic levels of D in the body with just the sun.)

How Long is Too Long in the Sun?

This is the tricky part and most often misunderstood. Obviously, there’s plenty of data to back up that being in the sun too long without protection can lead to skin cancers. The flipside is that being in the sun too little might lead to cancer as well.

You may think that applying some sunscreen will get you the best of both worlds, but sadly sunscreen has been shown to block upwards to 95% of vitamin D uptake from the sun.(6)

What are you to do?

A good solution is to spend fifteen minutes in the sun and then apply your sunscreen. It’s suggested that fifteen minutes a day can be enough. However, for a lot, that isn’t the case. And unless you’re living below 42 degrees North latitude (a line approximately between the northern border of California and Boston), in the wintertime you aren’t going to get it at all.(7)

Studies also show that if you’re African America or Hispanic then you need near double what Caucasians need.(8,9)

The Do’s and Don’ts of Vitamin D

If you find yourself stuck inside, above the magic line, or of darker skin, then you might need to look at better options of getting vitamin D.

1. Don’t be obese: Obesity blocks vitamin D intake by as much as 55%.

2. Don’t be scared of the sun: We’re a culture of extremes and look at where it’s got us. You need some sun, so don’t be afraid of it. Just call it quits before you burn like a lobster.

3. Do eat cod liver oil: Cod liver oil in supplement form is a really simple and easy way to get in lots of D3 during those months when you may not be able to.

4. Don’t be scared of the tanning bed: If you’ve ever known a friend with an iguana or turtle, then you know that in order to survive they need those ultraviolet exposures. Well, so do you!

Exposure to tanning beds resulted in a 100% increase in blood concentrations of vitamin D.(10) The problem is, just as with the sun, people take things too far. It’s a great way to get what you need in the winter months, but the same “don’t overdo it” rules apply.

5. Do get tested: In general, you should be getting a full vitamin and mineral testing every six months. Is it time for a checkup?

6. Do hit the numbers: While 400 IU is the recommend dosage, there’s nothing wrong with getting 1,000 IU, especially from D3, and namely during the “off season.”

7. Do take this seriously: I’m not usually one for dramatics, but there are so many low level health problems that can lead to higher level problems, and issues from a vitamin D deficiency can be really simple to solve.

Take it seriously; get in your sun, get in your oils, and take advantage of the problems you can fix every chance you get.

—

References

1. An evaluation of the vitamin D3 content in fish: Is the vitamin D content adequate to satisfy the dietary requirement for vitamin D?

2. Nutrition Coordinating Center. Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R). Version 4.06/34. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2003.

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, 2003.

4. Houghton LA, Vieth R. The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:694-7.

5. Nesby-O’Dell S, Scanlon KS, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Hollis BW, Looker AC, et al. Hypovitaminosis D prevalence and determinants among African-American and white women of reproductive age: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:187-92.

6. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/80/6/1678S.pdf

7. Cranney C, Horsely T, O’Donnell S, Weiler H, Ooi D, Atkinson S, et al. Effectiveness and safety of vitamin D. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 158 prepared by the University of Ottawa Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-02.0021. AHRQ Publication No. 07-E013. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2007.

8. Nesby-O’Dell S, Scanlon KS, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Hollis BW, Looker AC, et al. Hypovitaminosis D prevalence and determinants among African-American and white women of reproductive age: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:187-92.

9. Yetley EA. Assessing vitamin D status of the U.S. population. Am J Clin Nutr. In press.

10. Holick, M. F. (2004). Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79, 362-371.

Source: http://avidityfitness.net/2008/10/13/vitamin-d-the-real-factstruths-and-sources-of-the-sun-vitamin/

Top 10 Ways to Stay Energized

Even if you're a hyper-organized, task-oriented worker with an expansive mind and endless ambition, you won't get a lot done if your mind and body are demanding you curl up and doze off. Luckily, you can overcome a late night of net surfing, a rough morning, or just the post-lunch stupor without becoming an over-wired mess. We've put together 10 of the best ways to jumpstart your brain and get back into a productive groove, and all of them are tricks you can put to work this Monday. Photo by neps.

10. Make your own energy products.

If you're going to resort to a brick of grains and protein to give you short-term "power" or "energy," you may as well have it be cheap—and tastier than those foil-wrapped roofing tiles. Same goes for re-hydrating drinks, which can be easily mixed at home. Foodie extraordinaire Alton Brown has recipes for three different home-baked bars, as does About.com's Sports Medicine section. Of course, there's always the free stuff flowing from the tap for true replenishment.

9. Listen to brain-stretching music.

Among other tips offered up by software programmer Brad Isaac for beating "brain drain," the exhaustion that comes from sustained concentration, is working a little Mozart or Bach into your playlist. There's no overly hook-y melody to pull your mind away, and the harmony of so many instruments together relaxes your mind. Strings and brass not your thing? Try the non-intrusive, up-tempo ambient of Groove Salad.

8. Deal with job burnout.

Even if you're generally happy with your job, the people you work with, and the work you're doing, small annoyances and responsibilities can build up over time, until a dark, angry cloud hangs over you seven and a half hours per day. Seriously—feeling overwhelmed by your tasks was the second most frequent response in our poll on energy zappers. The Simple Dollar blog recommends scheduling an immediate vacation to take care of piling-up home stuff and set your mind free. Web Worker Daily suggests finding a new project. However you handle burnout, keeping an even head about your job gives you a lot more energy to spend on stuff that's a lot more fun.

7. Schedule around your energy peaks.

Writer and speaker Michelle Dunn describes herself as "very organized," but there are times of the day she just can't be productive. So when she's about to hit a lull—like right after lunch—she schedules errands and tackles non-thinking tasks, and otherwise schedules around her energy. Of course, not everybody can just run off to Target whenever they're feeling blah, so 43 Folders honcho Merlin Mann explains subtle ways to work inside your schedule.

6. Get outside—even if it's cloudy.

Even if you live in one of those areas with perma-gray skies for two-thirds of the year, getting outside every day can give you a vitamin D boost and the resulting mood and energy improvements. The National Institutes of Health recommends getting 10 to 15 minutes of sun each day, and a layer of sunscreen if you're getting more. Even better, you get away from the screens, voicemails, and low-level humming of the office.

5. Crank out some morning exercises.

You know those mornings where you have to get right up and do something with a deadline? The groans about coffee and sleep fall away, and you usually get it done. Give yourself a now-now-now pushup cycle right after your breakfast, and you might just shake off your sluggish self-doubt and get moving. If you're looking to get more out of your morning time, personal trainer Dan Boyle offers a two and a half minute core routine that'll definitely leave you aware that you're awake. Photo by whyld.

4. Eat the right nutrition mix.

Sugar and bread give you a quick jolt of energy, but ultimately result in an insulin-powered crash later in the day. Too much meat doesn't give you enough of the quick-firing stuff. Balancing out your lunch, instead of just eating leftover pasta, can have a big impact on your day, according to the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source. As Lifehacker guest editor (and current io9 editor) Annalee Newitz puts it:

Remember, carbs come in fruits and veggies as well as grains. And you can get protein from meat, dairy, fish, eggs and beans (like soy or pinto). The perfect lunch might be veggies with fish (mmm, nicoise salad, anyone?), and the best snack an apple with a little cheese.

It's also not a bad idea to keep the heavy meals for morning to ensure better sleeping patterns.

3. Put your senses to work.

If you're stuck at work after a rough night, chances are you'll be staring at a hypnotizing screen or look-alike paperwork and finding it hard to stay awake. WikiHow suggests a multi-sensory assault on your tired self. Try scenting yourself awake with some essential oils of (or just strong scent of) peppermint or rosemary, or target the alertness-sparking stress points like your earlobes and the skin between your thumb and forefinger. Keep yourself a little chilly, and try to move around a bit—it's your best shot at not having the boss notice you haven't said a word since 9AM. Photo by cote.

2. Switch from venti to smaller caffeine doses.

Slamming half a carafe of coffee to get alert and productive is kind of like pounding a six-pack to get social and funny—you're going to miss your mark, in often painful ways. Research suggests that small, frequent doses of caffeine—like tea breaks, caffeinated mints, and even chocolate—do a better job of keeping your brain from feeling fatigued than jitter-inducing java. Of course, if you've got the willpower and patience, you could also just drink half-cups of coffee more frequently. Photo by ToOb.

1. Master the power nap.

Taking a nap isn't calling it quits on getting energized—it's just running a quick defrag on your neural drive and rebooting. We've covered the ins and outs of napping pretty thoroughly here, but if you need a quick take-away, try the Boston Globe's comprehensive cheat sheet. If shut-eye alone can't bring you back, try a coffee-charged caffeine nap.

Source: LifeHacker

Receptor gene linked to melanoma risk

A variation of the gene responsible for metabolising vitamin D appears to increase the risk of melanoma, a serious and sometimes fatal skin cancer, Italian researchers report.

The authors believe that the altered form of the receptor is less able to bind to vitamin D, a vitamin that can be produced in sun-exposed skin. Prior research has suggested that this binding helps protect against melanoma.

Variants in the vitamin D receptor gene have been hypothesised to affect the risk of melanoma, but findings from prior studies have been conflicting.

The current investigation represents the first combined analysis performed using published data, according to a report in an upcoming issue of the American Cancer Society's journal Cancer.

Data from six studies, which included a total of 2152 patients with melanoma and 2410 subjects without the cancer, were included in the analysis.

Vitamin receptors

Together, the studies examined the impact of five vitamin D receptor gene variations, or "variants," designated TaqI, FokI, BsmI, EcoRV, and Cdx2, on the risk of melanoma.

Patients with the BsmI variant had a 30% increased risk of melanoma, report Dr Simone Mocellin and Dr Donato Nitti, from the University of Padua. This would account for close to 10% of melanoma cases.

The FokI variant did not affect the risk of melanoma and the impact of the other three variants was less clear.

The authors conclude that although the effects of the BsmI variant are not fully known, "these findings indirectly support the hypothesis that sun exposure may have an anti-melanoma effect through activation of the vitamin D system."

But they add that additional research is needed, calling for a larger study to "test whether any vitamin D receptor is independently associated with melanoma risk."

Boosting vitamin D

Professor Bruce Armstrong of the University of Sydney, who was not part of the study, says there is a growing body of evidence supporting the link between low levels of vitamin D and melanoma.

"There are some interesting links out there," says Armstrong. "We know that people who have less active receptors seem to be at higher risk [of developing melanomas]."

"That suggests vitamin D is quite important in preventing melanoma in the first place."

Armstrong says that people with a less effective BsmI gene would benefit from an increased amount of the vitamin D.

But he says there is debate over how to increase vitamin D levels, with countries such as the United States advocating the use of oral supplements.

"In Australia we've tended to accept the view that a small amount of direct UV (ultraviolet light) is beneficial," says Armstrong.

But he warns that this should be done in moderation.

"You don't need large amounts ... and should only be in the sun when the UV index is below 3," Armstrong says.

Source: abc.net

Skin cancer fears may increase risk of bone thinning disease

British people may not be not getting enough sunlight to generate sufficient levels of vitamin D, as they are worried about the possibility of skin cancer, according to a poll by the National Osteoporosis Society. The poll found that awareness of the importance of wearing sunscreen is high, with 74 per cent of people believing you should always apply sunscreen when going out in the sun in the UK.

However, a small amount of regular exposure to the sun is important as sunlight is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and reduces the risk of the bone thinning disease osteoporosis.

We all need a bit of sunshine in our lives, but it's important to remember that the amount of sun needed to make enough vitamin D is always less than the amounts that cause reddening of the skin or sunburn. - Caroline Cerny, health campaigns manager, Cancer Research UK

Professor Roger Francis, chair of the National Osteoporosis Society's Medical Board, commented: "High profile skin cancer campaigns have made people far more aware of the dangers of overexposure to the sun.

"However, an unanticipated side-effect may be that people now feel that they shouldn't spend any time in the sun at all. Potentially, this could result in a lack of vitamin D and increased risk of osteoporosis."

The professor noted that too much sun causes skin cancer and ageing and advised against spending lengthy periods in the sun.

"However, we feel that people should be able to get out and enjoy some summer sunshine over the next couple of months," he claimed, adding: "We can use the summer months to build up our levels of vitamin D so that we have enough stored to last us through winter."

Cancer Research UK's health campaigns manager, Caroline Cerny, said that by enjoying the sun sensibly, it is possible for everyone to make enough vitamin D while not increasing their risk of skin cancer.

"The amount of time in the sun required to make enough vitamin D changes from person to person and depends on things like skin type, time of day, time of year, and where you are in the world," she noted.

Ms Cerny advised: "We all need a bit of sunshine in our lives, but it's important to remember that the amount of sun needed to make enough vitamin D is always less than the amounts that cause reddening of the skin or sunburn."

Simple ways to get enough sunshine without increasing the risk of overexposure include hanging the washing outside to dry or watering the garden while your face and arms are bare.

However, people who are fair-skinned, have lots of moles and freckles, or who have a family history of skin cancer should take particular care and everyone should avoid the strong sunshine in the middle of the day.

News provided by Adfero in collaboration with Cancer Research UK. Please note that all copy is © Adfero Ltd and does not reflect the views or opinions of Cancer Research UK unless explicitly stated.

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk

Moderate exposure to sunlight promotes good health

Who says vitamin D is just for kids? Certainly not Dr. Northrup! Research is now revealing a far greater role for vitamin D—including the prevention of breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal cancer.¹

In fact, Dr. Northrup says that suboptimal levels of vitamin D may be one of the reasons why breast cancer incidence is higher in northern latitudes than near the equator. Research has shown that women who have blood levels of vitamin D above 52 ng/ml have half the risk of breast cancer as those with lower levels. Most women have to take 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day (either from sunlight, eating fish, or supplementation) to get this level.² Adequate vitamin D would also prevent scores of women from getting the brittle bones associated with aging.

It’s even estimated that additional exposure to vitamin D would save more than 23,000 American lives per year due to the reduction in cancer mortality.³

“Though today we’re taught to be afraid of the sun, all of us, including children, need regular sunlight to be healthy,” Dr. Northrup explains. “Our inner wisdom knows this, and that’s why despite all the propaganda about the dangers of sun exposure, millions of people still flock to the beach. The sun just feels too good to be all that bad!”

In addition to increasing serotonin levels in our blood and helping to balance melatonin, the sun’s UV rays enable our bodies to manufacture vitamin D in the fat layer under the skin.⁴ Exposure to outdoor sunlight is a much more reliable predictor of vitamin D levels in your blood than your dietary intake.

The body can make enough vitamin D from sun exposure to last the entire year! The more body area that’s exposed the better. Full-body exposure to sunlight on clear days at equatorial latitudes can easily provide the equivalent of 4,000 to 20,000 IU in less than 30 minutes in those with lightly pigmented skin. Those with darker pigmentation need more.

The key is moderation and avoidance of sunburn. Early morning or late afternoon sun is the safest. Avoid midday sun whenever possible. When I sunbathe, I always stop before getting any sign of a burn.

Need more vitamin D in your life? Here are a few tips from Dr. Northrup:

• Take your vitamin D supplement.
  (minimum of 1,000 IU per day)
  
• Get additional vitamin D by eating fish.
  Wild sockeye salmon, silver salmon, and albacore tuna contain anywhere from 300-700 IUs of vitamin D per 3.5 oz. serving, depending on the supplier. Consider eating these types of fish regularly.
  
• Consider a series of short visits to the tanning booth if you live in the North.
  (Don't get red!)
  
• Take a sunbath when you can.
  I'd recommend using sunscreen on your face. The rest of your body can absorb the UV light and make the vitamin D.

References

1. Holick MF. 2004. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr, 79:362-71.
2. Garland CF, Mohr SB, Gorham ED, Grant WB, Garland FC. Evidence of need for increased vitamin D fortification of food based on pooled analysis of studies of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer. Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res 2006;47:[Abstract 4008]
3. Northrup, Christiane, M.D., 2005. Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a Legacy of Physical and Emotional Health, Bantam: New York. p. 217.
4. Ibid., 216.

Sunny outlook for vitamin D lab testing

Testing for vitamin D levels once was uncommon. But as more and more studies raise awareness about vitamin D deficiencies, testing for the vital vitamin is skyrocketing.

Tests ordered for vitamin D grew by about 80 percent between May 2007 and May 2008, according to Richard Reitz, a medical director with Quest Diagnostics of Madison, N.J., one of the country's largest diagnostic labs. Another top lab -- Burlington, N.C.-based Lab Corporation of America -- saw a 90 percent leap in D test requests between 2007 and 2008, says Eric Lindblom, a company executive. Neither firm would release the actual numbers.

The testing hoopla is due to emerging research that links vitamin D deficiency with some infectious diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders, says Patsy Brannon, professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University.

Other research indicates that many Americans are deficient in vitamin D, says Catherine Gordon, director of the bone health program at Children's Hospital Boston.

Supplements and D-rich foods, such as fortified milk, may be recommended for patients with low D levels, Gordon says. Sunshine's UV rays also activate one form of vitamin D in the body.

The Institute of Medicine recommends 200 IUs a day for children and 400 IUs daily for adults, though some experts recommend more.

Gannett News Service

Review of vitamin D guidelines urged

A flurry of research indicating that vitamin D may have a dizzying array of health benefits has reignited an intense debate over whether federal guidelines for the "sunshine vitamin" are outdated, leaving millions unnecessarily vulnerable to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other ailments.

The studies have produced evidence that low levels of vitamin D make men more likely to have heart attacks, breast and colon cancer victims less likely to survive, kidney disease victims more likely to die, and children more likely to develop diabetes. Two other studies suggested that higher vitamin D levels reduce the risk of dying prematurely from any cause.

In response to these and earlier findings, several medical societies are considering new recommendations for a minimum daily vitamin D intake, the American Medical Association recently called for the government to update its guidelines, and federal officials are planning to launch that effort.

But many leading experts caution that it remains premature for people to start taking large doses of vitamin D. While the new research is provocative, experts argue that the benefits remain far from proven. Vitamin D can be toxic at high doses, and some studies suggest it could increase the risk for some health problems, experts say.

"The data are intriguing and serve as, no pun intended, food for further fruitful research," said Mary Frances Picciano, at the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health. "But beyond that, the data are just not solid enough to make any new recommendations. We have to be cautious."

The clash is the latest in a long, often unusually bitter debate. Some skeptics question whether funding by the tanning, milk and vitamin industries is biasing some advocates. Frustrated proponents accuse skeptics of clinging to outdated medical dogma.

Reinhold Vieth, a professor of nutritional sciences and pathobiology at the University of Toronto, is one of a small but vocal cadre of researchers pushing doctors and patients to stop waiting for new official guidelines. Physicians should routinely test their patients for vitamin D deficiencies, and more people - especially African Americans - should take supplements and increase their exposure to the sun, they say.

"The bottom line is we now recognize that vitamin D is important for health for both children and adults and may help prevent many serious chronic diseases," said Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University.

Scientists have long known that vitamin D is a vital nutrient the skin produces when hit by ultraviolet light from sunlight and other sources. The amount of vitamin D produced varies, depending on where the person lives, skin pigment, age and other factors. African Americans and other dark-skinned people, and anyone living in northern latitudes, make far less than other groups.

With people spending more time indoors surfing the Web, watching television, working at desk jobs, and covering up and using sunblock when they do venture outdoors, the amount of vitamin D that people create in their bodies has been falling. Milk and a few other foods are fortified with vitamin D, and it occurs naturally in others, such as fatty fish, but most people get very little through their diets.

Studies have found that deficiencies may be common, with perhaps half of adults and children having what some consider inadequate levels. Federal guidelines call for people to get 200 to 600 international units a day, depending on age and other factors. But those recommendations were last updated in 1997 and were aimed primarily at preventing bone diseases, such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in the elderly.

Since then, studies have indicated that vitamin D offers a plethora of health benefits, possibly protecting against heart disease, many forms of cancer, immune system disorders such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and the flu, and perhaps mental illnesses including schizophrenia and depression.

The Canadian Cancer Society upped its recommendation to 1,000 units a day last year. Some believe Americans should routinely consume at least 2,000 international units a day.

But others have reservations. Dermatologists worry that encouraging people to get unprotected sun exposure or use tanning salons may increase the rate of skin cancer.

"We're in the middle of a skin cancer epidemic," said C. William Hanke, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Tanning is risky and dangerous behavior. Ultraviolet light is classified as a carcinogen. We need to protect our skin."

This article appeared on page A - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Study shows more benefits of sunshine vitamin

LONDON (Reuters) - People with a vitamin D deficiency are as much as twice as likely to die compared to people whose blood contains higher amounts of the so-called sunshine vitamin, Austrian researchers said on Monday.

Their study -- the latest to suggest a health benefit from the vitamin -- showed death rates from any cause as well as from heart-related problems varied greatly depending on vitamin D.

"This is the first association study that shows vitamin D affects mortality regardless of the reason for death," said Harald Dobnig, an internist and endocrinologist at the University of Graz in Austria who led the study.

The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, a reason for its nickname as the "sunshine vitamin." It is added to milk and fatty fish like salmon but many people do not get enough of it.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is considered important for bone health. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, and it can lead to rickets in children.

A number of recent studies have also indicated vitamin D may offer a variety of other health benefits, including protecting against cancer, peripheral artery disease and tuberculosis.

Last week, U.S. researchers said vitamin D may extend the lives of people with colon and rectal cancer.

Dobnig and colleagues, who reported their findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine, studied more than 3,200 people with an average age of 62 who were scheduled for a heart exam between 1997 and 2000.

During an eight-year follow-up the researchers found that the quarter of volunteers with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood were at greater risk of dying.

Even when accounting for factors such as heart disease, exercise and other conditions, the researchers found that the risk was double for people with between 5 to 10 nanograms per millilitre of vitamin D in their blood, Dobnig said.

Most doctors believe people should have between 20 to 30 nanograms per millilitre of the vitamin in their blood, he added in a telephone interview.

What causes this effect is not clear, but Dobnig pointed to a host of studies suggesting links to high blood pressure, cancer and fractures as places to begin looking.

The potential health risk of low levels of vitamin D should also prod physicians to be more aware of the potential problem, especially for the immobile, elderly and others who spend a great amount of time indoors, he added.

Many doctors agree that people with low levels of vitamin D cannot make up for it safely by sitting in the sun, but should take supplements.

"These results should prompt us to perform vitamin D measurements on a more frequent basis especially in populations at risk," Dobnig said.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox)

Vitamin D Deficit May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk

Men who have low levels of vitamin D, which comes from sunshine and fortified milk, may be at risk for having a heart attack, researchers said.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the industrialized world, and kills 869,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the American Heart Association. Deaths from heart disease rise in the winter, at higher latitudes and lower latitudes, where exposure to sun declines, the researchers said.

They tracked the health history of 18,225 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, comparing those who had a heart attack or died from heart disease with healthy participants. Men with a vitamin D deficiency at the start of the study were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack as those in the normal range, even after other reasons such as family history, weight, diabetes and cholesterol levels were considered.

``The risk of dying of a heart attack was even higher,'' said Edward Giovannucci, the lead researcher and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, in a telephone interview. ``Particularly for people who live in the northern-most states and in the winter months, when we don't get a lot of exposure to sunlight, 1,000 to 1,500 units a day of Vitamin D may be warranted.''

The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute, appears in today's Archives of Internal Medicine. Previous studies found women who don't get enough sunlight may be at greater risk from aggressive breast cancer.

Sunny Days

Sunshine is the greatest source of vitamin D, produced when ultraviolet light strikes the skin. Studies have shown vitamin D, which occurs naturally in few foods, may make several types of cancer less lethal and protect against breast cancer, the most common malignancy in women.

On a sunny day in the summer, just 10 minutes outside in shorts and a T-shirt will generate enough vitamin D to reach the higher levels found protective in the study, Giovannucci said. Light-skinned people, the group with the highest risk of skin cancer, are the most efficient at producing vitamin D and need the least time in the sun, he said. Darker-skinned people need two to three times longer, he said.

``The people most concerned about skin cancer should definitely not be baking in the sun, but for about 10 minutes at midday, you can make a lot of vitamin D quickly,'' he said. ``You don't need to get a sunburn to make vitamin D.''

Sunscreen

Sunscreen partially blocks vitamin D production, particularly when lotions with higher sun protection factor, or SPF, levels are used. Some vitamin D is produced even when sunscreen is applied thoroughly, something most people don't do, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

In the winter, spending an entire day outside might not yield much vitamin D, Giovannucci said. And it may take 10 to 15 glasses of milk to raise men from the lowest levels to the highest, he said. It is during those winter months that supplements may be helpful, he said.

The reason for the protective effect of vitamin D isn't clear, though there are several hypotheses, he said.

Vitamin D can help lower blood pressure and reduce calcium deposits in the arteries, the fatty plaque that can rupture to cause clots and heart attacks, he said. It may also help reduce the risk of respiratory ailments that can be tied to heart attacks or help the heart muscle function better, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michelle Fay Cortez in Minneapolis at mcortez@bloomberg.net

Fighting Breast Cancer? Take Your Vitamin D

Researchers have found that breast cancer patients who don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies are much more likely to have their cancer spread and to die from the disease.

For millions of women, the finding in a new study raises the possibility that a basic nutrient like vitamin D, a vitamin pill that costs just pennies a day, might have a profound impact on their breast cancer.

Click here to watch the video.

Dr. Anne McTiernan at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said, "This study is significant because it tells us this may be one thing women can do to improve their prognosis."

Researchers, following more than 500 women with breast cancer, found that women deficient in vitamin D were 94 percent more likely to have their cancer spread and 73 percent more likely to die from their cancer.

JoEllen Welsh, a professor at the State University of New York at Albany, said, "Vitamin D is pretty unique in its action in that it does enter the cancer cells and induces them to undergo a cell death process."

Welsh should know. She studies vitamin D in her laboratory. Under a microscope, she showed ABC News a cluster of human breast cancer cells that shriveled up and died when she added vitamin D.

"The effects of vitamin D on breast cancer cells are very similar to the established drug Tamoxifen that many women take for breast cancer."

Vitamin D, essential for strong bones, has also been linked in several studies with cancer prevention. And not only breast cancer but colon and prostate cancers as well.

The problem, said cancer researchers, is that many women and men are not getting enough vitamin D. In this latest study, 76 percent of the breast cancer patients had low levels of the nutrient.

A simple blood test can determine whether someone is vitamin D deficient and by how much.

McTiernan, a researcher in breast cancer prevention, exercises daily, eats nutritiously and recently discovered that she too had dangerously low levels of the nutrient.

"I was very surprised at how low my vitamin D levels were. I thought I was doing everything right." she said.

Now with daily vitamin D supplements, she just might be.

For more information on vitamin D, check out the fact sheet provided by the National Institues of Health here.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

Are babies hurt by lack of vitamin D?

Vitamin D deficiency is quite common in babies, and breast-fed infants appear to be at greater risk than bottle-fed ones, according to a new study.

Researchers found "suboptimal" levels of the bone-building vitamin in 40 percent of 380 otherwise healthy infants and toddlers tested at Children's Hospital Boston, with 12 percent considered to be clinically deficient. Breast-fed infants were up to 10 times more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than their bottle-fed counterparts, according to the study in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

In addition to helping build strong bones, vitamin D - which the body synthesizes from sunlight - may play a key role in reducing the risk of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and some cancers. The fat-soluble vitamin is generally present in foods only in small quantities, so in the United States, it's added to milk, multivitamins, and some cereals and juices.

Rates of vitamin D deficiencies are on the rise in both children and adults, research shows, as we slather on sunscreen and spend more time indoors.

But the new study's findings go straight to the heart of an ongoing debate in medicine - how much vitamin D do we really need, and what's the best way to get it?

In a cautionary editorial accompanying the study, University of Washington pediatrics professor Dr. James A. Taylor noted a lack of consensus among medical experts about what constitutes the best level of vitamin D for health. There is little research showing any long-term effects from early vitamin D deficiency in children, Taylor said, although he acknowledged that such research would be difficult to conduct.

"It seems like we're medicalizing people that we don't need to medicalize," Taylor said. "The question is whether these children have any long-term health risks, and I don't think we know that."

The new study involved a largely African-American and Latino group of children, aged 8 to 24 months, who visited a clinic at Children's Hospital between 2005 and 2007.

Dark-skinned children and adults are at particular risk of deficiency, because the extra pigmentation in their skin interferes with the body's ability to produce the vitamin. Vitamin D levels also have been shown to decline in winter months.

Only 20 of the children were exclusively breast-fed, and of those, only six received a vitamin D supplement. The researchers performed X-rays on the children whose blood tests showed a vitamin D deficiency and found that nearly a third showed evidence of the weakening that can lead to rickets, a softening of the bones that can trigger fractures and deformities. One child even showed physical signs of the disease. The vitamin D-deficient children were offered enrollment in a treatment trial.

One of the study's most surprising conclusions is that the primary risk factor for vitamin D deficiency was breastfeeding without supplementation, rather than children's skin color or the time of year, said lead author Dr. Catherine Gordon, director of the Bone Health Program at Children's Hospital.

"A tenfold increase in risk is huge. It's a startling difference" Gordon said, although she acknowledged that the actual number of exclusively breast-fed children was small.

Mothers who breastfeed are often vitamin D-deficient, so the American Academy of Pediatrics since 2003 has recommended supplementing the diets of exclusively breast-fed babies with 200 units a day of vitamin D, particularly if they live in northern climes. Baby formula typically is fortified with vitamin D.

The finding could rile breastfeeding advocates, who fear that recommending supplementation of any kind might scare some women away from the practice, which studies show has other health benefits. Gordon was careful to note that she wholeheartedly supports breastfeeding but recommends vitamin D supplementation.

Noted vitamin D expert Dr. Michael Holick of the Boston University School of Medicine, who praised the study, believes that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for supplementing breast-fed infants is inadequate and that all children require vitamin D supplements and moderate sun exposure for optimal health.

"Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common medical conditions nationwide," said Holick, who has come under criticism for accepting funding from the tanning industry.

Dermatologists caution that sun exposure can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Source: Boston.com

The Joint Canadian Tanning Association Lauches TanAwareness.com

From the website: "This is our association’s first annual campaign designed to increase awareness of responsible sun exposure and vitamin D production. It is our goal to educate the public in how to achieve a balance between sunburn avoidance and vitamin D production.

Each year we will encourage Canadians to have their vitamin D levels checked to ensure they are maintaining healthy levels. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends taking 1000 international units per day. A typical indoor tanning session in a tanning bed emitting UVB will produce up to 10,000 IUs.

Our Vision

Sun exposure, like air, water, and food, is natural and necessary to human life. The JCTA’s vision is that all Canadians learn to correctly embrace ultraviolet and sunshine as part of a healthy lifestyle – one which acknowledges that moderate ultraviolet light exposure, when experienced in a non-burning fashion, is the smartest way to maximize the potential benefits of UV light while minimizing the manageable potential risks associated with either too much or too little sunlight." Click here to visit.

Vitamin D may benefit breast cancer patients

Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of the disease or have it spread than patients getting enough of the nutrient, a study found — adding to evidence the "sunshine vitamin'' has anti-cancer benefits.

The results are sure to renew arguments about whether a little more sunshine is a good thing.

The skin makes vitamin D from ultraviolet light. Too much sunlight can raise the risk of skin cancer, but small amounts — 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen — may be beneficial, many doctors believe.

While the vitamin is found in certain foods and supplements, most don't contain the best form, D-3, and have only a modest on blood levels of the nutrient. That's what matters, the Canadian study found.

Only 24 percent of women in the study had sufficient blood levels of D at the time they were first diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who were deficient were nearly twice as likely to have their cancer recur or spread over the next 10 years, and 73 percent more likely to die of the disease.

"These are pretty big differences,'' said study leader Dr. Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. "It's the first time that vitamin D has been linked to breast cancer progression.''

Hesitation from experts
But people shouldn't start downing supplements, she warned. Experts don't agree on how much vitamin D people need or the best way to get it, and too much can be harmful. They also don't know whether getting more vitamin D can help when someone already has cancer.

"We have no idea whether correcting a vitamin D deficiency will in any way alter these outcomes,'' said Dr. Julie Gralow, a cancer specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The study was released Thursday by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and will be presented at the group's annual meeting later this month.

Lots of earlier research suggests vitamin D may help prevent prostate, breast and especially colon cancer. In lab and animal tests, vitamin D stifles abnormal cell growth, curbs formation of blood vessels that feed tumors and has many other anti-cancer effects.

Other evidence: People who live in northern regions of the world have higher cancer rates than those living closer to the equator, possibly because of less sunshine and vitamin D.

The Canadian researchers wanted to see whether it made a difference in survival. They took blood from 512 women at three University of Toronto hospitals between 1989 and 1995, when the women were first diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

A decade later, 83 percent of those who had had adequate vitamin D blood levels were alive without extensive spread of their cancer, versus 79 percent of those whose vitamin D levels were insufficient and 69 percent of those who were deficient, as defined by widely used medical standards for measuring intake.

Too much of a good thing?
One red flag: The few women with the very highest levels of vitamin D seemed to have worse survival.

Though the study was too small and those results were not conclusive, "there may be an optimal level of vitamin D in women with breast cancer and it may be possible to take too much,'' Goodwin said.

The federal government says up to 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day seems OK. Taking 800 units per day will, on average, raise blood levels to the middle of the range that seems best for bone and general health, Goodwin said.

Vitamin D is in salmon and other oily fish, and milk is routinely fortified with it, but dietary sources account for little of the amount of D circulating in the blood, experts say.

"It's very hard to make a recommendation'' because how much difference a supplement makes depends on someone's baseline level, which also can be affected by sunlight, skin type and time of year, she explained.

Doctors do suggest breast cancer patients get their vitamin D levels checked to see whether they are deficient. The simple blood test is available in many hospitals and labs for about $25, Goodwin said.

Dr. Nancy Davidson, a Johns Hopkins University cancer specialist who is president of the oncology society, said those tests are growing in popularity, even in ordinary medical care.

Source: msnbc

Vitamin D Guards Against Artery Disease

Vitamin D may protect against peripheral artery disease (PAD), a disease in which fatty deposits restrict blood flow to your limbs. PAD most often reduces blood flow to your legs, causing pain and numbness. It can impair your ability to walk and in some cases lead to amputation.

Scientists found that people with low levels of vitamin D in their blood experience an increased risk for the condition.

The researchers based the findings on a U.S. government health survey involving almost 5,000 adults who underwent PAD assessment and had their blood vitamin D levels measured. The 25 percent of people with the lowest vitamin D levels were 80 percent more likely to have PAD than those in the highest 25 percent.

Sources:

• Reuters April 16, 2008

• Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology April 16, 2008

Sunscreens can block vitamin D

Click here to view the video

Tamara Smith visits a tanning parlor when she can’t be outside in the sun. “I’m always indoors. I don’t go outside," says Smith.

Many doctors say ultraviolet light from the sun or a tanning machine is dangerous because of the risks associated with skin cancer. But some health experts, such as Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, disagree.

“I believe that Americans have gone overboard with their fear of the sun. I think that sensible exposure to sunlight is really important for your overall health and well-being,” says Holick.

The reason for the concern is vitamin D, essential for bone strength and other health needs, which our skin makes through exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

We need 1,000 units of vitamin D a day, but a glass of milk supplies only 100 units and a multivitamin only 400. So most people need the sun in order to avoid deficiency.

Sunscreens can reduce vitamin D production
Now, new research has found that wearing sunscreen continuously can reduce the amount of vitamin D a person is able to make.

"We looked at individuals that always wore a sunscreen before they went outside. ... And we found that, indeed at the end of the summer, they were deficient in vitamin D," says Holick. "And so we have shown over and over again that adults, even if they're on a multivitamin, and drinking milk, if they always wear sun protection, or avoid any direct sun exposure, they're at high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency."

Rooftop measurements of sunlight show that, for most people, getting enough sunlight exposure at this time of year is not easy, even for people who don't regularly wear sunscreen. In the middle of the winter on a very sunny day in a city as far north as Boston, there’s not enough sunlight for people to get sufficient quantities of vitamin D.

The good news is that if you get enough sun during the rest of the year, it carries you through the winter, says Holick.

Or there are machines. In Holick’s lab he put young people in tanning machines and measured their bone density.

“Tanners had higher bone density on average than non-tanners,” says Holick.

Still, he cautions against the dangers of skin cancer and warns people not to go overboard. However, it is critical, he says, to realize the sun’s rays are not always our enemy.

Source: MSNBC

Low vitamin D levels linked to depression in older people

Older people who have low levels of Vitamin D may be at a higher risk of depression, a new study has found.

The new research shows that people deficient in vitamin D have high levels of parathyroid hormone, which has been linked to depression.

The researchers estimate that 13 per cent of all people over 65 are depressed.

Dutch scientists measured the blood levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormones in 1,282 study participants between the ages of 65 and 95.

They found that 26 of them were suffering from a major depressive disorder, 169 had minor depression and 1,087 did not suffer from depression.

The study found that 38.8 per cent of men and 56.9 per cent of women had insufficient vitamin D levels.

In those people who had both major and minor depression, vitamin D levels were 14 per cent lower than in people who did not suffer from depression.

Parathyroid hormone levels were five per cent higher in those people who were minorly depressed and 33 per cent higher in those who were severely depressed, compared with those who had no depressive symptoms.

The good news, researchers say, is that low vitamin D levels in the blood and elevated parathyroid hormone levels can be easily modified through an increased intake of vitamin D and more sun exposure.

Despite the findings, researchers aren't sure whether the depression leads to the reduced vitamin D levels and elevated parathyroid hormone or vice-versa.

"Underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency such as less sun exposure as a result of decreased outdoor activity, different housing or clothing habits and decreased vitamin intake may be secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of poor vitamin D status," the authors write.

They suggest more studies be undertaken to determine this relationship.

The study is published in the May issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Press Release of the Day: Canadians underexposed to sunlight!

THIS JUST IN! Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a hidden epidemic as media teaches Canadians to fear the sun! From Canada News Wire:

TORONTO, April 25 /CNW/ - As Canadians brace for the much awaited warm summer months there is something else that our bodies crave - sunlight.

Alarmingly however, Canadian public health messaging has resulted in the demonization of sunlight. The amount of fear this dogma has created is potentially damaging to the health of Canadians.

Recent vitamin D research has shown that 97 percent of Canadians and a majority of Americans are vitamin D deficient today. And, the facts are clear. Humans get 90 percent of their vitamin D naturally from sunlight. To say that your skin should not be exposed to UV light is to say that your body should suffer vitamin D deficiency - the most severe result of sun-avoiding behavior.

"The professional indoor tanning community is the voice of reason on this issue: sunburn prevention - not sun avoidance - is what we need to be teaching. Moderate UV exposure increases vitamin D production."

So Health Canada is damaging the health of Canadians through the "demonization of sunlight"? That's the OPPOSITE of what Health Canada should be doing. Alarming, indeed!

But what can Canadians do to buck the media fear-mongering and halt this potentially-but-not-actually-rampant vitamin deficiency? According to the Joint Canadian Tanning Association — a national non-profit organization created to increase understanding of the professional tanning industry, which, incidentally, authored this press release — the solution is simple: pay a salon to give you a tan! It's the responsible Canadian thing to do.

"The public has been hearing from lifestyle media for years how bad the sun is for you. Unfortunately the message is heavily influenced by large amounts of advertising dollars. Just have a look at web sites like www.sunsafetyalliance.com and www.skincancer.org and you can see who the funders behind the message are. The unfortunate part of all this is that an unintended consequence occurs, that being vitamin D deficiency," Gilroy said.

If you're interested in learning more about tanning — and why not? It's only your LIFE we're talking about here — check out the Joint Canadian Tanning Association's website at tancanada.org.

Vitamin D is key in Brain Development

It’s known to all of us that Vitamin D plays an important role in the maintenance of organ systems. A recent study finds whether there is convincing biological or behavioral evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to brain dysfunction. Vitamin D has an important role in the development and function of the brain, according to researchers from Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI). Joyce C. McCann, Ph.D., assistant staff scientist and Bruce N. Ames, Ph.D., senior scientist at CHORI concludes that there is sufficient biological evidence to suggest an important role of vitamin D in brain development and function.

A group of fat-soluble prohormones is Vitamin D. Lack of vitamin D causes rickets which is seen frequently in children in many developing countries. The dearth of Vitamin D is the core reason, but lack of calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets.

Vitamin D not only preserves bone health but is also involved in differentiation of tissues during development and in proper functioning of the immune system. It was discovered in recent studies that this vitamin plays a role in maintaining immune functions.

Vitamin D’s presence in brain functioning includes the circulation of vitamin D receptors throughout the brain; and this vitamin has the capacity of affecting the brain. It is involved in learning, memory, motor control, possibly even maternal and social behavior. These points were thoroughly discussed by McCann and Ames. Growing research shows that vitamin D is essential not just for strong bones but also for muscle strength, balance, brain function and preventing some cancers, says J. Edward Puzas, a researcher and URMC professor of orthopedics.

Vitamin D is produced naturally after the skin is exposed to the sunlight. The ultraviolet rays from the sun produces a hormone called calcitriol which is metabolized by a biochemical in the skin to Vitamin D. Such kind of vitamin D configuration by UV is much more efficient in light skin than dark skin. In regions like of Northern latitudes where sunlight is inadequate, would need the intake of Vitamin D whereas people in Australia or Arizona may possibly avoid sunburns and prevent themselves from skin cancer caused by the ultraviolet rays.

Source: healthjocky.com

Vitamin D & Lung Cancer

Something as common and available as sunlight may help prevent some lung cancers, researchers say.

A new study finds that lower levels of the sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are associated with a higher incidence of lung cancer across 111 countries.

Still, that doesn't mean that spending more time in the sun will ever offset the risks that come with smoking, according to the study, which is published in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

"The problem is that people might over-interpret this and stay in the sun for hours," said Cedric Garland, study senior author, professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and participating member at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center in La Jolla.

Too little sun isn't great either, however, since sunlight helps the skin manufacture healthy vitamin D. "It would be false prudence to stay out of the sun to prevent skin cancer and not get enough vitamin D," Garland said.

Other experts, however, feel the focus should stay on cigarette smoking as the number one cause of lung cancer.

"When you have such a strong factor as tobacco, it really weighs out all these other small influences," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in Baton Rouge, La. "It's a very interesting observation, but the main message is tobacco is such a strong influence in the development of lung cancer that we should concentrate on that."

More than one million people die of lung cancer worldwide each year. Cigarette smoking causes about 85 percent of lung cancers. The remaining cases are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke and a variety of other (some unknown) factors.

Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D, as the sun's UV rays trigger synthesis of vitamin D in the skin.

Previous research, much of it by the same group, has found a strong association between breast cancer, colon cancer and other internal-organ cancers and living in latitudes with less sunlight. For example, one paper observed double the death rate from colon cancer above the U.S. Mason-Dixon line as below, leading the researchers to focus on lack of sunlight as the culprit.

It wasn't a new idea. "There were people in epidemiology dating back to Hippocrates who thought it was a good idea to live on the south side of a hill," Garland said.

Another study linked lower levels of a vitamin D metabolite in the blood with a higher level of colon cancer.

For this study, Garland and his colleagues looked at the association between latitude and exposure to UVB light and rates of lung cancer in 111 countries. Data came from an extensive United Nations database.

Although smoking showed the strongest association with lung cancer, exposure to UVB light also had an impact.

UVB light is greatest closer to the equator. This study showed that lung cancer rates were highest in regions farthest away from the equator and lowest in those regions nearest to it.

Higher cloud cover and aerosol use (both of which absorb UVB rays) were linked with higher rates of lung cancer.

For men, smoking was associated with higher rates of lung cancer, while greater exposure to sunlight was associated with lower rates.

For women, cigarette smoking, along with total cloud cover and aerosol levels, were associated with higher rates of lung cancer, while sunlight was again associated with lower rates.

Previous research has indicated that vitamin D may be able to stop the growth of malignant tumors.

"Everyone should be getting vitamin D, and, at all latitudes, there's plenty of potential to make vitamin D," Garland said. "Even in Helsinki, people can take advantage of the sun in summer months."

And vitamin D produced in the summer will carry over into the winter. Even so, unless you know what your vitamin D levels are, it might be wise to take a supplement, Garland advised.

SOURCES: Cedric Garland, Dr.P.H., professor of family and preventive medicine, University of California, San Diego, and participating member, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla; Jay Brooks, M.D., chairman of hematology/oncology, Ochsner Health System, Baton Rouge, La.; Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health