Sunlight, Vitamin D

It's Positively Essential that We Get More Sunlight!

Low blood levels of this essential nutrient (Vitamin D) are associated with increased incidences of virtually every human disease. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; Drugs Aging. 2007; J Nutr. Nov. 2005).

This nutrient drastically slashes the incidences of the most common aging-related disorders. Optimal vitamin D blood levels are over 50 ng/mL, yet most Americans' levels test below 30. (Am J Clin Nutr. July 2006; J Nutr. Nov. 2005; Mayo Clin Proc. Dec. 2003).

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, April 30, 2009 evaluated blood levels for vitamin D in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The average serum vitamin D level was only 16 ng/mL. All patients with undetectable levels of vitamin D died.

Patients with the lowest vitamin D blood levels had the most severe organ dysfunction and the most adverse outcomes.... --Life Extension, Oct/Nov/Dec 2009.

Comment: A caveat is in order. Zane R. Kime, MD, MS, writing in SUNLIGHT notes that "unless one has a proper diet, sunlight has an ill effect on the skin. This must be emphasized: sunbathing is dangerous for those who are on the standard high-fat American diet or do not get an abundance of vegetables, whole grains, and fresh fruits. Those on the standard high-fat diet should stay out of the sun and protect themselves from it; but at the same time they will suffer the consequences of both the high-fat diet and the deficiency of sunlight."

Suzanne

Vitamin D Revelations

The far-reaching health effects of sufficient vitamin D--the sunshine vitamin--are coming to light. Heretofore, vitamin D deficiency was only identified with weak bones, muscle pain and muscle weakness. Now there's mounting evidence that an inadequate supply of this vitamin is intrinsically linked to degenerative disease. Indeed, evidence is mounting that adequate amounts of vitamin D protects against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases (including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis), periodontal disease and some mental disorders. Crohn's disease and some forms of hearing loss, various skin disorders like psoriasis and scleroderma can also be involved. People with epilepsy may need supplementation to replace vitamin D depleted by medication and research indicates that this vitamin helps maintain healthy immunity and helps regulate cell growth and differentiation.

Of course, the best known biologic role of vitamin D is the maintenance of normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. This vitamin along with other vitamins, minerals and hormones helps form and maintain strong bones. Indeed, without sufficient vitamin D, the bones cannot lay down calcium. And this can result in the development of rickets in children and ostoemalacia in adults.

Rickets in children involves skeletal deformities, including spinal curvature and and the classic symptom, bowed legs. Ostoemalacia, the adult version also results in weak bones, bone pain, muscle weakness and muscle pain. These symptoms of osteomalacia are often misdiagnosed. One common disguise is fibromyalgia. How many doctors would suspect a deficiency of vitamin D?

Let the Sunshine In! It wasn't very many years ago that most humans got plenty of sunlight and made tens of thousands of units of vitamin D in the strong sun. Now most of us do not get this kind of exposure, and this is the basis of the case for widespread severe vitamin D deficiency in modern humans. Medical researchers fear that a whole host of degenerative disease may be related to this deficiency. Up until now, no one has related degenerative disease to chronic, ongoing depletion of vitamin D.

Unfortunately, most have become convinced that sunlight is bad for us. Some go for days, weeks, even months without the sun touching their skin. Others slather on sunscreen every time they venture out into the sunlight. (This blocks the production of vitamin D).

Dawn of a New Day - That's right, the pharmaceutical giants have many of us brainwashed with the lies that we need their ridiculously expensive concoctions in order to alleviate the many common maladies that are wreaking havoc in our land. Now researchers are finding that the simple expedient of a correct diet; getting an adequate amount of exercise, rest, water, and sunlight, etc. can work wonders and give the drug companies the "boot."

Here are other benefits of getting adequate vitamin D:

* 25 million adult Americans have or at risk of developing osteoporosis. Researchers have found higher bone density and fewer fractures in older adults who were given calcium and vitamin D compared with those given a placebo. 50% of women with osteoporosis who were hospitalized with hip fractures had signs of a vitamin D deficiency.

* High blood pressure, a heart disease risk factor is associated with problems in metabolizing calcium and with low levels of stored vitamin D. African Americans have a significantly higher prevalence of high blood pressure and lower vitamin D levels. One reason for this is that Blacks have an inherent difficulty accumulating vitamin D from sunlight.

* Over 60 years of observation have shown an association between high sun exposure and a lowered incidence of cancer. It's ironically so...after years of being warned to avoid the sun because of skin cancer risk, vitamin D researchers have discovered that the possibility of dying from low vitamin D status is far greater than that of dying from UV-induced skin cancers. Patients with colon, prostate, breast and several other cancers, all benefit from sun exposure.... Women with higher levels of vitamin D showed substantially reduced risk of breast cancer.

* A research team from New Zealand showed that type 2 diabetes is four times more likely in Americans with low vitamin D levels. It's important to note that both type 2 diabetes and heart disease are associated with obesity. Besides other health risks, obese persons have low levels of circulating vitamin D.

* Autoimmune Diseases can be directly affected by vitamin D. Autoimmune responses involved immune cells called T-cells. Biologically active vitamin D can interact with the T-cells so that the autoimmune response is diminished. There is evidence for this interaction with type I diabetes (juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An inadequate vitamin D intake may actually be at cause for the development of both juvenile diabetes and MS. Vitamin D therapy is also proving useful to those with lupus (SLE, another autoimmune disease).

And on and on it goes. Indeed, Dr. Robert Heaney, a vitamin D researcher at Creighton University, warned: "I don't like to overstate things, but I think we may find that vitamin D deficiency is a public health crisis." Source: Clark's Nutrition News.

Suzanne

The New Supervitamin

The "D" in vitamin D doesn't stand for "deficiency" but it might as well. Current guidelines call for 200 to 600 IU daily; many researachers now believe we may need up to 1,000 IU or more....from D-rich foods, 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily, and supplements. New studies show stocking up on the "sunshine vitamin" may improve you health in a variety of ways. Here's why becoming a devotee of D is such a bright idea.

Getting Enough D can...

*Relieve back aches. Among 360 chronic back pain patients, symptoms improved in 95% of those who took a high dose of vitamin D daily for 3 months.

* Ward off cancer. Higher levels may cut in half your risk of getting breast, colon or rectal cancer; consuming 300 IU or more daily reduced pancreataic cancer risk up to 44%, compared with those who consumed less that 150 IU daily.

* Deter diabetes. In a study or more that 83,000 women, those with the highest combined intakes of calcium and vitamin D had the lowest risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Being D-Deficient Can...

* Damage your heart. Inadequate amounts may increase the risk of peripheral artery disease by 80%.

* Weaken bones. 85% of women hospitalized for osteoporotic hip fractures have a deficiency, according to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

* Increase the blues. Blood levels of D were 14% lower in depressed individuals, a recent study showed.

* Shorten your life. Among over 13,000 adults, a deficiency boosted premature death risk by 26%. --Prevention, December 2008.

Comment: The amount of vitamin D necessary for vibrant health seems to be higher than mentioned in this article.

Suzanne

Beyond Bone Health

Vitamin D deficiency is due to insufficient sun exposure and difficulty obtaining the "sunshine vitamin" from dietary sources. Even foods fortified with D tend to provide less of this vitamin than we need. Absorption problems (such as those experienced in Crohn's disease and gluten intolerance) can also lead to low levels of this vitamin.

D deficiency is linked to high blood pressure, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes, as well as loss of bone density. By contrast, higher blood levels of this vitamin appear to double survival rates in colorectal cancer, Harvard researchers find. Similar results have been reported for breast and other cancers. Indeed, ovarian cancer rates are higher in northern latitudes where sun exposure is not a reliable source of vitamin D.

"Vitamin D levels are lower in the elderly than in younger people," adds June K. Robinson, MD, editor of Archives of Dermatology.

One study of Utah residents 50 and older with vitamin D deficiency showed they are 45% more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 78% more likely to have a stroke. Unfortunately, two-thirds of that state's population are low in this important vitamin.

While safety is an important consideration in creating recommendations for nutrient intake--especially with a fat-soluble vitamin like D that is stored in the body--John N. Hathcock, PhD, and colleagues at the Council for Responsible Nutrition believe that the current recommended upper limit (UL) for vitamin D (50 micrograms or 2,000 IU) could be increased safely. The absence of toxicity in new research trials conducted in healthy adults indicate that "a vitamin D dose of 250 mcg (10,000 IU vitamin D3) per day" may be a more appropriate UL, they write in a recent report. --American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov. 11, 2009, and others.

Suzanne

SUNLIGHT by Ellen White

"There are but few who realize that, in order to enjoy health and cheerfulness, they must have an abundance of sunlight, pure air, and physical exercise. We pity little children who are kept confined indoors when the sun is shining gloriously without.

"Clothe your boys and girls comfortably and properly....Then let them go out and exercise in the open air, and live to enjoy health and happiness.

"The pale and sickly grain-blade that has struggled up out of the cold of early spring puts out the natural and healthy deep green after enjoying for a few days the health-and-life-giving rays of the sun. Go out into the light and warmth of the glorious sun,...and share with vegetation its life-giving, healing power.

"No room in the house should be considered furnished and adorned without the cheering, enlivening light and sunshine, which are Heaven's own free gift to man....

"When God had made our world, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, He said, let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good. Shall we close our houses, and exclude from them the light which God has pronounced good?

"If you would have your homes sweet and inviting, make them bright with air and sunshine....The precious sunlight may fade your carpets, but it will give a healthful color to the cheeks of your children. If you have God's presence, and possess earnest, loving hearts, a humble home, made bright with air and sunlight...will be to your family...a heaven below.

"Exercise and a free abundant use of the air and sunlight--blessings which Heaven has freely bestowed upon all--would give life and strength." --My Life Today, p. 138.

Suzanne

BREAST CANCER VIRTUALLY "ERADICATED" WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF VITAMIN D

In a gathering of vitamin D researchers recently held in Toronto, Dr. Cedric Garland delivered a blockbuster announcement: Breast cancer can be virtually "eradicated" by raising vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is finally gaining some of the recognition it deserves as a miraculous anti-cancer nutrient. It is the solution for cancer prevention. It could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year in the U.S. alone. Even Dr. Andrew Weil recently raised his recommendation of vitamin D to 2,000 IU per day.

This is the vitamin that could destroy the cancer industy and save millions of women from the degrading, harmful cancer "treatments" pushed by conventional medicine.

Breast cancer is a disease so directly related to vitamin D deficiency that a woman's risk of contracting the disease can be 'virtually eradicated' by elevating her vitamin D status to what vitamin D scientists consider to be natural blood levels.

That's the message vitamin pioneer Dr. Cedric Garland delivered in Toronto February 2, 2010 as part of the University of Toronto School of Medicine's "Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency" conference--the largest gathering of vitamin D researchers in North America this year. More than 170 researchers, public health officials and health practitioners gathered at the U.T. faculty club for the landmark event.

Garland's presentation headlined a conference that reviewed many aspects of the emerging vitamin D research field--a booming discipline that has seen more then 3,000 academic papers this calendar year alone, conference organizers said. That makes vitamin D by far the most prolific topic in medicine this year, with work connecting it with risk reduction in 2 dozen forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple scleroses and many other disorders.

Dr. Reinhold Vieth, Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, and Director of the Bone and Mineral Laboratory at Mt. Sinai Hospital, organized the event in conjunction with Grassroots Health--an international vitamin D advocacy group founded by breast cancer survivor Carole Baggerly.

Baggerly implored the research group to take action and encouraged Canadians to learn more about vitamin D and to raise their vitamin D levels.

An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, according to the Canadian Cancer Society's latest figures.

As many as 97% of Canadians are vitamin D deficient at some point in the year, according to University of Calgary research--largely due to Canada's northerly latitudes and weak sun exposure. Sunshine is by far the most abundant source of vitamin D--called "The Sunshine Vitamin. Vitamin D supplementation helps raise levels for many as well.

Grassroots Health's "D-action" panel--30 of the world's leading researchers on vitamin D and many other vitamin D supporters--recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and vitamin D blood levels of 100 - 150 nanomoles-per liter as measured by a vitamin D blood test.

Vieth pointed out that natural vitamin D levels of mammals who live outdoors in sunny climates is higher than that--up to 200 nanomoles-per liter. And Garland, whose presentation was entitled Breast Cancer as a Vitamin D Deficiency Disease, presented new evidence that low vitamin D status compromises the integrity of calcium-based cellular bonding within tissues, which when eroded allow rogue cancer cells to spread more readily.

Grassroots Health is trying to raise vitamin D awareness among Canadians. Despite epidemic-level vitamin D deficiency in Canada, fewer than 9% of Canadians have ever had their vitamin D levels checked by a professional and most who have do not know their vitamin D blood level. --NaturalNews.com by Mike Adams.

Suzanne

More Info on the subject....

Vitamin D Prevents Breast Cancer

(NaturalNews) You've heard the good news about vitamin D for years: It's a "miracle" medicine that reduces cancer rates by 77% according to important research. It also happens to be a powerful anti-cancer medicine that can both prevent and reverse breast cancer.

Here is a compilation of expert quotations on vitamin D and breast cancer, cited from some of the most authoritative books and authors in the world. Feel free to share what you learn here with others who may benefit from this information.

"Sunlight triggers the formation of vitamin D in the skin, which can be activated in the liver and kidneys into a hormone with great activity. This activated form of vitamin D causes 'cellular differentiation'--essentially the opposite of cancer. The following evidence indicates that vitamin D might have a protective role against breast cancer: synthetic vitamin D-like molecules have prevented the equivalent of breast cancer in animals. --The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions, by Alan R. Gaby, MD, Johathan V. Wright, MD, etc.

"Two equally effective sources of vitamin D in humans are derived from plant ergosterol, which is converted to ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) by the action of sunlight on the skin. The body uses vitamin D3 for normal immune system function, to control cellular growth, and to absorb calcium from the digestive trace. Vitamin D3 can inhibit the growth of malignant melanoma, breast cancer, leukemuia, and mammary tumors in laboratory animals. Vitamin D3 can also inhibit angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that permit the spread of cancer cells through the body." --Permanent Remissions, by Robert Hass, MS.

"There's surprising new evidence that older women who skimp on foods rich in vitamin D are more likely to develop breast cancer, according to Frank Garland, Ph.D, of the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of California at San Diego...Specifically, Dr. Garland finds that dietary vitamin D wards off postmenopausal breast cancer in women...." --Food Your Miracle Medicine, by Jean Carper.

"In animals fed a high fat diet, which normally would produce a higher incidence of colon cancer, supplements of calcium and vitamin D blocked this carcinogenic effect of the diet. Vitamin D inhibits the growth of breast cancer in culture, and also seems to subdue human breast cancer. Cells from human prostate cancer were put into a '...permanent nonproliferative state', or shut down the cancer process, by the addition of vitamin D. Human cancer cells have been shown to have receptor sites, or stereo specific 'parking spaces' for vitamin D." --Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin.

"Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required. Diseases and conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency: Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which impairs calcium absorption. Sufficient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer, and schizophrenia. 'Rickets' is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. --Natuiral Health Solutions, by Mike Adams.

"George's Hospital Medical School in London finds local production of vitamin D in breast tissue reduces the risk for breast cancer. For women with low breast tissue levels of vitamin D the risk for breast cancer rose by 354%! ...The provision of 400 IU of vitamin D per day has been found to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43%." --You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Any More by Bill Sardi.

"Taken together, these facts suggest that vitamin D and its derivatives may play a role in regulating the exp​ression of genes and protein products that prevent and inhibit breast cancer. The cancer-stopping power of vitamin D has been documented in osteosarcoma (bone cancer), melanoma, colon cancer, and breast cancer. These cancer cells contain vitamin-D receptors that make them susceptible to the anticancer effects of this vitamin-hormone made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight." --Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, MS.

"Nature is God's physician. The pure air, the glad sunshine, the beautiful flowers and trees, the orchards and vineyards, and outdoor exercise amid these surroundings, are health-giving--the elixir of life. Outdoor life is the only medicine that many invalids need. Its influence is powerful to heal sickness caused by fashionable life, a life that weakens and destroys the physical, mental, and spiritual powers." --Ellen White, Counsels on Health.

Suzanne

Vitamin D, Heart Disease and Stroke

Finnish researchers assiduously measured blood vitamin D levels of 2,817 men and over 3,000 women (average age 49) and followed the participants for 27 years. During that time, 480 men and 453 women died from heart disease or stroke.

Those with the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 25% greater risk of dying ftrom heart attack or stroke than those with the highest vitamin D levels. The risk of death from stroke was twice as high among those with the lowest levels of vitamin D than it was among those with the highest levels. --American Journal of Epidemiology, Oct. 15, 2009.

Suzanne

Sunshine is Nature's Disease Fighter

Medical researchers are growing increasingly excited about a wonder "drug" that may significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many other diseases--sunshine. One recent study found that men who are deficient in vitamin D, which the body produces in response to sunlight, have more than double the normal risk of suffering a heart attack.

Indeed, men with vitamin D levels below 15 nanograms per milliliter had 2.5 times the risk of having a heart attack or dying--even after controlling for all other possible risk factors such as hypertension, obesity and high lipid levels.

Another study found that low levels of vitamin D increased the risk of diabetes, and yet another linked vitamin D deficiencies to an increased risk of dying from breast cancer. These findings all join a growing body of evidence indicating that an adequate level of this vitamin, which many p[eople can get fromn 20 minutes in the sun each day is crucial to maintaining good health. --Arcives of Internal Medicine, June 9, 2008.

Inspiration says: "Invalids too often deprive themselves of sunlight. This is one of nature's most healing agents. It is a very simple, therefore not a fashionable remedy, to enjoy the rays of God's sunlight and beautify our homes with its presence....It is not God who has brought upon us the many woes to which mortals are heirs. Our own folly has led us to deprive ourselves of things that are precious, of blessings which God has provided and which, if properly used, are of inestimable value for the recovery of health. If you would have your homes sweet and inviting, make them bright with air and sunshine...." Ellen White, Testimonies, Vol 2:527.

"Let your judgment be convinced that exercise, sunlight, and air are the blessings which Heaven has provided to make the sick well and to keep in health those who are not sick." --Ibid, 535.

A word to the wise!!!!

Suzanne

Vitamin D and the Brain

Adults 65 and older with low blood levels of Vitamin D are up to 60% more likely to experience substantial mental decline, according to a study in the July 12, 2010, issue of the Archives of Internal Mediine. --Consumer Reports on Health

Suzanne

We nowadays tend to forget that sunshine is one of the eight remedies cited by Ellen White to prevent and cure illness. Thre is too much use of sunblocks.

Vitamin D Needs in Pregnancy

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition identifies pregnant women, especially if dark skinned, as a high-risk group for vitamin D deficiency. The article states that severe vitamin D deficiency can threaten the life of newborns, while lesser deficiencies may cause long-term health problems.

While a supplemental dose of 20 micrograms per day has been previously recommended for pregnant mothers, new research indicates that higher doses may be required. Further research is needed, since inconsistent advice by doctors undercuts prevention strategies and may lead to some mothers going without any supplementation at all. --British Journal of Nutrition,= August 2010.

Suzanne

Vitamin D Scorecard

Brain

High blood levels linked with 67% reduction in Parkinson's disease risk (Archives of Neurology, July 2010); low levels may increase the risk of depression (Journal of Clinicl Endocrinology & Metabolism, July 2010) and cognitive decline (Archives of Internal Medicine, July 12, 2010).

Bones

Long known to help the body maintain calcium levels, a key requirement for proper bone mineralization; prenatal D intake by mothers required for proper fetal bond development (Journal of Nutrition, Sept. 2010).

Heart

Low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to hypertension, and lab studies indicate supplementation may help lower blood pressure (American Journal of Physiology, Aug. 6, 2010 online); Low levels of this nutrient are also associated withy poor outcome in heart failure patients (Current Drug Targets, Aug. 27, 2010 online) and increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes (Endocrine Society meeting, July 2010).

Immune System

Vitamin D helps activate the immune system's T cells (Nature Immunology, April 2010); increased intake may reduce flu risk (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2010).

Other

Increased intake of this nutrient linked to 40% reduction in colorectal cancer risk (American Journal of Epidemiology, Sept. 1, 2010); may reduce mold allergies in those with asthma (Journal of Clinical Investigation, Aug. 16, 2010 online).

Note: The current recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 400 IU for folks 50 and older. In light of ongoing research, however, the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board is expected to recommend an increase in this amount; some studies support intakes as high as 5,000 IU. --Energy Times, October 2010.

Suzanne

Vitamin D discoveries keep growing -- lack of vitamin D linked to muscle injuries and Alzheimer's disease

by S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) Over the past few years, researchers have come up with a mountain of evidence that vitamin D is extremely important to maintaining health and preventing and even treating a host of health problems. For example, studies have shown that too little vitamin D may trigger breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (http://www.naturalnews.com/028690_R...)
, brittle bones, heart attacks (http://www.naturalnews.com/025069_V...)
and more.

And now there's breaking news that scientists have discovered two more extraordinary benefits to getting enough vitamin D through sun exposure and supplements. It turns out a lack of the remarkable vitamin could result in sports-related muscle injuries. What's more, vitamin D may, in a sense, help "vacuum" out plaques in the brain associated with the dreaded, mind-robbing dementia known as Alzheimer's disease.

A recent study just presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting now underway in San Diego has linked too little vitamin D in the body to an increased risk of muscle injuries in athletes. Specifically, the scientists studied National Football League (NFL) football players.

"Eighty percent of the football team we studied had vitamin D insufficiency. African American players and players who suffered muscle injuries had significantly lower levels," said Michael Shindle, MD, lead researcher and member of Summit Medical Group, in a statement to the press.

The researchers worked with 89 football players, average age 25, from a single NFL team, giving them laboratory tests to measure vitamin D levels in the spring 2010 as part of the athletes' routine pre-season evaluations. Over the course of the season, the team provided data to the scientists so they could document how many of players missed games due to muscle injuries. Vitamin D levels were also classified according to a player's race and how much playing time was lost due to muscle injuries.

The results showed that a large number of these super fit, professional athletes were actually seriously deficient in vitamin D. Twenty-seven players were dramatically deficient and 45 more had levels consistent with insufficiency. In fact, only 17 players tested had values in the normal limits. African American players were far more likely to have the lowest levels of vitamin D. And the 16 players who suffered muscle injuries were found to have the lowest vitamin D levels.

"Screening and treatment of vitamin D insufficiency in professional athletes may be a simple way to help prevent injuries," Dr. Scott Rodeo, MD, Co-Chief of the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery, noted in the press statement.

While preventing sports injuries with vitamin D is an exciting possibility, consider this other, potentially mind blowing news about the remarkable vitamin -- it may help prevent and even reverse the buildup of amyloid beta plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

That's the conclusion of new research just published in BioMed Central's open access journal Fluids and Barriers of the CNS. A lack of vitamin D has been suspected to play a role both Alzheimer's disease and less serious but worrisome age-related memory problems. And now a study conducted by scientists at Tohoku University in Japan has found that removal of amyloid plaques from the brain depend on vitamin D.

The researchers treated mice bred to have amyloid beta plaques in their brains with injections of vitamin D. The result? The vitamin D therapy actually helped remove these plaques, which are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, from the rodents' brains.

"Vitamin D appears to increase transport of amyloid beta across the blood brain barrier (BBB) by regulating protein expression, via the vitamin D receptor...These results lead the way towards new therapeutic targets in the search for prevention of Alzheimer's disease," Professor Tetsuya Terasaki said in a media statement.

Editor's note: NaturalNews is opposed to the use of animals in medical experiments that expose them to harm. We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.

For more information:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/

http://www.sportsmed.org/tabs/Index...

Suzanne

Optimum vitamin D blood saturation reduces all-cause mortality by nearly thirty percent

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) The importance of vitamin D for human health has been the topic of extensive research over the past decade. Suboptimal levels of the prohormone are known to compromise immunity, cardiovascular health, bone health and normal metabolism. The result of a new meta-analysis study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that adequate circulating vitamin D reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 29 percent. Vitamin D has been shown to provide the blueprint required for healthy DNA replication of cellular structures; low levels of the sunshine vitamin dramatically increase the incidence of many cancer lines as genetic mutations proliferate. Millions of at-risk people can protect themselves by ensuring normal blood saturation levels through a simple blood test and prudent sun exposure or supplementation.

Vitamin D deficiency runs rampant in the aging population around the world. Researchers estimate that correcting this deficiency by doubling the typically low vitamin D levels would result in a 20 percent mortality reduction. A body of evidence shows that senior adults with the lowest level of vitamin D blood saturation more than double their risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.


Vitamin D blood level lowers colorectal cancer risk by forty percent
Researchers performed a large meta-analysis of eleven vitamin D studies including 59,231 individuals. They compared individuals in the highest quartile with those in the lowest quartile and found the increased risk of early morality from all causes was 29 percent. As blood levels dropped below 30 ng/mL, the risk for death went up in a linear manner. It is important to note that fifty-percent of U.S. citizens have vitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL and forty percent have major deficiency (below 20 ng/mL), problems made worse by lack of sun exposure in the winter.

In an independent and supporting body of research, scientists from the national cancer Center in Tokyo publishing in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the highest levels of vitamin D blood saturation lowered the risk of colorectal cancer by forty percent. In a study of 737 people with colon cancer and 703 cancer-free individuals, researchers found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D and increased levels of calcium experienced the lowest risk from this common form of cancer.

World-renowned vitamin D expert, Dr. Michael Holick commented "maintaining optimal vitamin D status is important for reducing risk of colorectal cancer independent of the calcium effect." Nutrition experts recommend maintaining vitamin D levels between 50 and 70 ng/mL as measured by a 25(OH)D blood test. New evidence suggests that calcium provided from natural food sources (590 mg per day) provides a synergistic effect with vitamin D to dramatically lower all-cause mortality.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22170374

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v65/n9/full/ejcn201168a.html

http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/vitamin_d_deficiency_increases_mortality_risk/

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/12/21/aje.kwr295.abstract

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Vitamin-D-again-linked-to-lower-colorectal-cancer-risk

Suzanne

The 10 symptoms of vitamin D deficiency you need to recognize
by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) Taking vitamin D while still young may be good for the body in the long run. Results from a study conducted by the University of Zurich have confirmed that sufficient amounts of vitamin D taken consistently are necessary to maintain bone health.

Many people believe that maintaining healthy eating habits is enough, but only few foods naturally contain significant levels of vitamin D. According to Dr. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, a faculty of UZH, in order to get adequate levels of vitamin D through diet alone, two servings of fatty fish like salmon or mackerel would have to be consumed every day. It is thus necessary to increase vitamin D levels in the body through sufficient sun exposure and supplementation in order to use the sunshine vitamin's full potential for maintaining proper body functioning.

This misconception about maintaining D levels through diet does have a degree of ground since vitamin D is not a stand alone vitamin. To perform many functions, vitamin D works in cooperation with other vitamins like magnesium, which can be found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach. This unique characteristic of vitamin D has contributed to the management of many chronic illnesses.

The many faces of vitamin D

Decades ago, health care professionals thought vitamin D was only good for keeping healthy bones and teeth. Recent advances in science, however, have put this vitamin in the spotlight by revealing its multifaceted role in the proper functioning of the human body and its ability to lower the risk of illnesses not formerly associated with it.

Despite the recent revelations about the potential of vitamin D, it appears that not everyone appreciates this discovery. The current lifestyle of working indoors has contributed to the growing number of vitamin D deficiency cases worldwide. This is compounded by the fact that not everyone is aware that he or she may be vitamin D deficient.

Am I vitamin D deficient?

The best way to discover vitamin D deficiency is to take a blood test that will measure the level of the vitamin in your blood. You can either ask your doctor to administer the test or buy a home test kit do the test yourself. However, you are certainly vitamin D deficient if you have any of the following ailments, and you need to consult with your doctor regarding your preventive, as well as curative, options as soon as possible.

1.) The flu - In a study published in the Cambridge Journals, it was discovered that vitamin D deficiency predisposes children to respiratory diseases. An intervention study conducted showed that vitamin D reduces the incidence of respiratory infections in children.

2.) Muscle weakness - According to Michael F. Holick, a leading vitamin D expert, muscle weakness is usually caused by vitamin D deficiency because for skeletal muscles to function properly, their vitamin D receptors must be sustained by vitamin D.

3.) Psoriasis - In a study published by the UK PubMed central, it was discovered that synthetic vitamin D analogues were found useful in the treatment of psoriasis.

4.) Chronic kidney disease - According to Holick, patients with advanced chronic kidney diseases (especially those requiring dialysis) are unable to make the active form of vitamin D. These individuals need to take 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or one of its calcemic analogues to support calcium metabolism, decrease the risk of renal bone disease and regulate parathyroid hormone levels.

5.) Diabetes - A study conducted in Finland was featured in Lancet.com in which 10,366 children were given 2000 international units (IU)/day of vitamin D3 per day during their first day of life. The children were monitored for 31 years and in all of them, the risk of type 1 diabetes was reduced by 80 percent.

6.) Asthma - Vitamin D may reduce the severity of asthma attacks. Research conducted in Japan revealed that asthma attacks in school children were significantly lowered in those subjects taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 1200 IU a day.

7.) Periodontal disease - Those suffering from this chronic gum disease that causes swelling and bleeding gums should consider raising their vitamin D levels to produce defensins and cathelicidin, compounds that contain microbial properties and lower the number of bacteria in the mouth.

8.) Cardiovascular disease - Congestive heart failure is associated with vitamin D deficiency. Research conducted at Harvard University among nurses found that women with low vitamin D levels (17 ng/m [42 nmol/L]) had a 67 percent increased risk of developing hypertension.

9.) Schizophrenia and Depression - These disorders have been linked to vitamin D deficiency. In a study, it was discovered that maintaining sufficient vitamin D among pregnant women and during childhood was necessary to satisfy the vitamin D receptor in the brain integral for brain development and mental function maintenance in later life.

10.) Cancer - Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC discovered a connection between high vitamin D intake and reduced risk of breast cancer. These findings, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research, revealed that increased doses of the sunshine vitamin were linked to a 75 percent reduction in overall cancer growth and 50 percent reduction in tumor cases among those already having the disease. Of interest was the capacity of vitamin supplementation to help control the development and growth of breast cancer specially estrogen-sensitive breast cancer.

Prevention is proactive

These various health conditions associated with vitamin D deficiency need not be something to fear. A proactive approach to prevention can assist in the avoidance of the many chronic diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency. For one, thousands of dollars can be saved, not to mention the peace of mind, simply at the cost of taking a walk under the sun. Save the umbrellas for the rainy days.

Sources for this article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510299,00.html
http://journals.cambridge.org
http://www.vitamindcouncil.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/032222_breast_cancer_vitamin_D.html

Suzanne

How vitamin D helps prevent lung cancer

by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) Increasing vitamin D may now be a matter of life or death, as recent studies have shown that it may play a vital role in the fight against lung cancer. To date, lung cancer is one of the three most common cancers that kill men and women in developed countries with a statistic of one million deaths every year.

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego discovered a correlative relationship between higher rates of lung cancer and less exposure to the sun.

Cancer and vitamin D

The study compared data from national and international databases and compared the lung cancer rates in 111 countries. It found a correlation with smoking, lung cancer and significant lower UVB exposure. Although the current study focused only on lung cancer, research conducted on other cancers have pointed to the fact that most cancer cases are seen in subjects living far from the equator, suggesting that lower levels of vitamin D also account for a high risk of colon and other cancers.

Traditionally, vitamin D was thought to be mostly responsible for bone health and was the medical answer to the rickets phenomenon decades ago. More recent findings have shown that the body has cells and tissues which contain vitamin D receptors necessary for its proper functioning, spurring a lot of interest in the potential of what it can do. The fact that it has just been discovered to prevent a spectrum of chronic diseases, cancer included, has stimulated a debate about whether it is the answer to the cancer problem that has plagued the world.

As early as 2001, the British Journal of Cancer featured a study revealing that cooked and raw fish lowered the risk of lung adenocarcinoma among the Japanese. In a more recent study of Norwegian men and women, consumption of cod liver oil was also found to protect against lung cancer. Fish and cod liver are some of the richest food sources of vitamin D.

What is vitamin D?

Curiously, vitamin D is not a vitamin but a hormone that, as earlier mentioned, affects a lot of physiological processes.

The body needs sufficient sun exposure to produce vitamin D . It can even be stored in the skin until the time when body needs it again. Strangely, it is impossible to get an overdose from sun exposure since the body has a mechanism that controls the amount it needs.

Getting vitamin D from dietary sources may not be enough, as there are not many foods naturally containing vitamin D. This leaves supplementation, which can be an option for those who may not get enough sun exposure.

The recommended intake by the US government is set at 600 IU for children and adults until 70 years of age. Adults above 70 are recommended to take 800 IU a day. A recent study appearing in the Anticancer Research Journal suggests that to be able to take advantage of cancer protection benefits, higher levels are required, or as much as 4,000 to 8,000 IU for adults per day.

Vitamin D controls cancer cells

The likely explanation for this is that vitamin D locally controls genes that help keep cancer at bay by keeping cellular proliferation in check. It has also been suggested that it can induce cell death and regeneration, reducing the potential for malignant cells to survive. Once it has done its job, it initiates its own destruction to guarantee that it does not enter circulation to influence calcium metabolism.

Andreas Moritz, a practitioner of alternative medicine and author of "Cancer is not Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism," describes cancer as the body's healing attempt when all other measures of self-preservation have failed. According to him, the reason the body allows some of its cells to become abnormal is because it attempts to heal itself. Thus, blocking its healing attempt can destroy the body while supporting it in its healing mechanisms can save it.

If Moritz is correct, how we approach cancer may hold a vital clue to its solution. The present treatment of cancer involves procedures such as chemotherapy, invasive procedure and use of pharmaceuticals. This narrow-minded focus on finding a cure practically ignores other options which have been around far longer than conventional medicine - such as the concept of a nutritional cure.

A look at the current trend in cancer treatments has seen such debilitating side effects in a patient's quality of life that it may appear to hasten a patient's decline rather improve his or her health. A patient may as well not undergo chemotherapy, as his chances of surviving without the procedure may well be higher than when he is undergoing treatment.

Nutritional care, on the other hand, seeks to work with the body's needs by providing the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to properly function. It is actually the natural way of keeping the body in balance and the best way to prevent diseases. In the event that the body's system is compromised due to illness, the body's immune system may be strengthened by taking food that naturally boost its immune system.

The alternative option, in the face of emerging research, has supported the idea of nutritional care - an empowered approach to disease that has seen many succumb to the influence of conventional medicine instead. Perhaps, it can now be said that to properly beat cancer, a needle may no longer suffice, and all that it may take is the enjoyment of life with good vitamin D-rich food and a lot of play under the sun.

Sources for this article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,154038,00.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2363884/
http://www.naturalnews.com/034286_cancer_prevention_nutrition.html

Suzanne

'Vitamin D Guide' infographic explains importance of vitamin D for optimal health

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) The vital importance of getting plenty of vitamin D as part of a healthy lifestyle cannot be overstated, and a newly released NaturalNews infographic explains some of the many reasons why vitamin D is crucial to health, as well as how much of it you should be getting.

You can view the infographic here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-The-Vitamin-D-Guide.html

Vitamin D can prevent practically every disease known to man

A prohormone, vitamin D is a crucial component of proper development, growth and maintenance of the human body. Without it, the body is prone to develop practically every disease in existence, as vitamin D's metabolic product, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), is responsible for unlocking more than 2,700 binding sites on the human genome (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/).

Vitamin D deficiency, in other words, can lead to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, rickets, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, influenza, obesity, hair loss, and cancer. NaturalNews has covered many of the studies over the years that show this to be true, but now this information is available all in one place on the infographic.

Government guidelines for vitamin D are too low

Did you know that the federal government's guidelines for vitamin D intake are far lower than what you really need to stay healthy? The daily dosage of 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D that the government says is adequate for children and adults under the age of 70 is a mere 15 percent of the 4,000 IU daily recommendation given by many nutritionists.

While 600 IU may prevent you from getting rickets, it is not nearly enough to prevent the host of illnesses that are on the rise in modern society today. In fact, the government's recommendations are so low that government advisory boards in recent years have proposed increasing the recommended intake guidelines for vitamin D.

Vitamin D more effective than flu shot at preventing flu

The Vitamin D Guide infographic also points out that vitamin D has been shown to be far more effective than the flu shot at preventing influenza. While a mere one out of every 100 people that take the flu shot are said to avoid the flu as a result, every person that maintains optimal blood levels of vitamin D should be able to avoid the flu.

Be sure to check out the Vitamin D Guide infographic here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-The-Vitamin-D-Guide.html

Natural sunlight exposure, vitamin D3 best ways to get vitamin D

The best way for humans to get vitamin D is to regularly expose their skin to natural sunlight. Individuals with fairer skin tones need about 15 minutes of daily sun exposure during the summer months to produce adequate levels of vitamin D in the body. Those with darker skin, depending on the shade, will need as much as an hour and a half of daily sunlight exposure.

During the winter months, it is much more difficult to get enough sunlight exposure, which is why supplementing with vitamin D3 may be necessary. You can also obtain minimal amounts of vitamin D from salmon, sardines, mackerel, shrimp, cod, eggs, fortified cow's milk and fortified yogurt. Raw milk is also said to have high levels of naturally occurring vitamin D.

Be sure to share the Vitamin D Guide with your friends and family so they can learn more about the importance of vitamin D:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-The-Vitamin-D-Guide.html

You can also find even more detailed information about vitamin D, including the latest published studies, over at the Vitamin D Council website:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-The-Vitamin-D-Guide.html

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/

Suzanne

Vitamin D, calcium found to save lives among elderly

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) has found that elderly individuals who supplement with both vitamin D and calcium together may have a decreased risk of early mortality. Based on data compiled from eight different randomized controlled trials, researchers found that seniors who supplement with both vitamin D and calcium are about seven percent less likely to die early compared to others.

Dr. Lars Rejnmark, M.D., from Aarhus University in Denmark and his colleagues examined the results of pooled data on more than 70,000 randomized participants with a median age of 70 that participated in vitamin D studies. Some of these participants were instructed to take only vitamin D, while others were instructed to take both vitamin D and calcium. After processing this wealth of data using a stratified Cox regression model, the team discovered that vitamin D can play a powerful role in reducing mortality and increasing life expectancy.

Interestingly, the overall decrease in mortality observed from taking vitamin D with calcium was not the result of vitamin D individuals experiencing fewer fractures, which has been the case in previous studies. There appears to be some other mechanism at play in how the body metabolizes vitamin D alongside calcium that provides other life-extending health benefits.

"This is the largest study ever performed on effects of calcium and vitamin D on mortality," said Rejnmark. "Some studies have suggested calcium (with or without vitamin D) supplements can have adverse effects on cardiovascular health. Although our study does not rule out such effects, we found that calcium with vitamin D supplementation to elderly patients is overall not harmful to survival, and may have beneficial effects on general health."

To gain the most benefits from vitamin D, it is important to also supplement with its various synergistic co-factors, which include magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin A, zinc, and boron. According to the Vitamin D Council, these co-factors are absolutely vital for achieving maximum results from vitamin D, including optimal biosynthesis of this life-giving nutrient. (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-cofactors/)

"Magnesium has been found to influence the body's utilization of vitamin D in the following ways: Magnesium activates cellular enzymatic activity," says the Vitamin D Council, which emphasizes magnesium as the most important vitamin D co-factor, even though it was not included in the Aarhus study. "Low magnesium has been shown to alter, by way of decreasing, production of vitamin D's active form, 1,25(OH)2D (calcitriol)."

To learn more about the many health benefits afforded by regular sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplementation, visit: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22605432

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120615103525.htm

http://www.medicaldaily.com

Suzanne

Vitamin D insufficiency promotes chronic disease and increases risk of early death by 50 percent

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Medical researchers have been sounding the alarm about the importance of maintaining optimal vitamin D levels from childhood through to the adult years, but millions of aging adults remain grossly deficient in this critical hormone-based nutrient. Vitamin D has demonstrated efficacy in preventing diseases from cancer to cardiovascular disease and dementia. Every cell in the body is now known to have vitamin D receptors where the nutrient provides an essential key to accurate DNA and cellular replication.

A research team from Wake Forest School of Medicine has published the results of an important study on vitamin D and disease risk in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). The study purports that low levels of vitamin D and high levels of parathyroid hormone are associated with increased mortality in older African American and Caucasian adults. Prior studies on the effects of low vitamin D levels have been conducted on persons of European origin, but this study distinguishes important differences in disease risk between blacks and whites.

Low vitamin D levels are a significant risk factor for disease development and early death

The lead study researcher, Dr. Steven Kritchevsky noted "We observed vitamin D insufficiency (defined as blood levels less than 20 ng/ml), in one third of our study participants. This was associated with nearly a 50 percent increase in the mortality rate in older adults... our findings suggest that low levels of vitamin D may be a substantial public health concern for our nation's older adults." It's important to note that while sun exposure provides a plentiful supply of circulating vitamin D during our younger years, continual warnings to avoid the sun and a natural tendency to produce less of the prohormone from sun exposure as we age, places older adults in a dangerously depleted state.

The study included 2,638 Caucasian and African-American adults, aged 70 to 79. For the baseline reading, participants fasted for 12 hours and blood was drawn and tested to determine levels of vitamin D. Every six months, the study's volunteers were contacted to assess their medical condition. Disease rates were then correlated with vitamin D levels to determine mortality and cause of death. The scientists factored in time of year and degree of sun exposure.

The researchers determined that vitamin D levels under than 30 ng/mL were associated with significantly increased all-cause mortality. Other studies have concluded that even higher vitamin D levels (50 to 70 ng/mL) provided optimal health risk protection. Adults of all ages should have their vitamin D blood saturation checked regularly using the reliable 25(OH)D test, and supplement as necessary to maintain blood levels in the ideal range.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22942386
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251021.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121002091803.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/tes-llo100112.php

Suzanne

Than you, Suzanne. This is one reason I see to it that I still get vitamin D - at the age of 80

Those eight remedies are basic and so easy to obtain. We must thank God for providing this guidance and show us how to follow it.

Low vitamin D increases risk of bladder cancer up to 600 percent

by PF Louis

(NaturalNews) The vitamin D3 secret for preventing cancer is seeping into the mainstream media (MSM)....

You won't hear or read too many cancer clinics and family doctors advising people on maintaining a high D3 blood level to protect against cancer either. The official RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D3 is way too low to maintain the D3 blood level of 40 to 60 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter). (http://www.naturalnews.com/031688_vitamin_D_chronic_disease.html)

That's the vitamin D3 blood level promoted by vitamin D3 experts, several holistic doctors, and naturopaths for protecting against cancer. Most doctors still consider 20 ng/ml normal. But PubMed asserts 40 to 74 ng/ml as normal. The possible toxic range is beyond 100 ng/ml, according to the Vitamin D Council


Vitamin D3 cancer prevention coverage going mainstream, bit by bit

The LA Times science section covered a recent study done in Spain by the Spanish Cancer Research Center, and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Positive studies on the merits of vitamin D3 for preventing breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer had already been performed and published. So Dr. Nuria Malets and her team decided to focus on bladder cancer instead. Bladder cancer is an epidemic in Spain.

They divided slightly over 2,000 test subjects in half. One half hospitalized with bladder cancer and the other half without bladder cancer. Then they used the standard serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25(OH)D test, which measures the active form of vitamin D3 produced in the kidneys.

The Spanish research team recorded that the 1,000 bladder cancer patients had less serum D3 levels than the 1,000 without bladder cancer. They determined that a low vitamin D3 level doubles the chance of bladder cancer.

Separating patients with more aggressive bladder cancers revealed that risks are six times higher with low D3 blood levels. One aspect of vitamin D3's ability to prevent cancer is a protein that D3 provides to curb cancer.

Vitamin D3 is more of a hormone than a vitamin, and it has regulatory adaptogenic properties. It boosts what's needed and lessens what's overabundant.

The LA Times article did not reveal the actual numeric 25(OH)D readings from the Spanish research team to indicate what they considered low.

What this means for you

Increasing bare skin exposure to direct sunlight is the optimum vitamin D3 booster. Tanning beds that use UVB (ultra-violet B) rays work also. UVB rays are what helps your skin's fat cells start the vitamin D3 process.

Vitamin D3 (not D2) supplements from natural sources are also beneficial. Ignore the official RDA minimum requirement. Many safely and effectively supplement 5,000 to 10,000 iu (international units) daily of natural vitamin D3.

A California study determined that up to 40,000 IU supplemented daily for a short term was not toxic. Your body automatically stops D3 production when sunshine or other UVB rays have your D3 level maxed out.

Instead of relying on frequent mammograms or prostate checks that have proven to give false reads and actually increase cancer risks, boost your vitamin D3 intake with more sunlight exposure to bare skin and/or supplements.

You may wish to check with 25(OH)D testing and decide your dosage from there, or trust your intuition. Try to get the 25(OH)D test from a holistic doctor who understands vitamin D3's implications.

So the vitamin D3 protection plan works for serious diseases as well as maintaining your immunity to help prevent colds and flues. Sunshine is free and vitamin D3 supplements are inexpensive. This is a very cost effective cancer protection plan.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.latimes.com

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003569.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14580762

Suzanne

Many studies reveal vitamin D's importance as a cancer-fighting agent

by Reuben Chow

(NaturalNews) There is a huge volume of research showing the relationship between vitamin D and cancer. The benefits of this vitamin, or hormone in this regard, apply to both cancer prevention and cancer survival.

Here is a rundown on some of the studies carried out on vitamin D and cancer.

Types of Cancer

Breast Cancer

A report which looked at research findings from 1966 to 2004 said that vitamin D can lower breast cancer risk by as much as 50%. [1]

Generally, vitamin D has been widely studied for its benefits on breast cancer prevention. However, more recent research suggests that vitamin D can help improve survival rates as well. Some research revealed that women with low vitamin D levels were more likely to develop more advanced breast cancers compared to those with higher vitamin D levels. [3]

Colon Cancer

Research carried out over an eight-year period in the 1980s on over 25,000 persons discovered that the colon cancer risk of those with normal levels of vitamin D was a massive 80% lower. [1]

Epidemiological studies have also revealed that higher vitamin D levels could lower colon cancer risk by about 60%. [2]

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported a study involving over 3,000 persons which showed that higher vitamin D and calcium intake was linked to lower rates of colon cancer. Other research studies affirmed this correlation. [3]

Colon cancer is more prevalent in areas of the United States with lower levels of sunshine. This trend is directly linked to vitamin D, as sunshine converts certain chemicals on human skin into the vitamin. [2]

Kidney Cancer

Research found that vitamin D helped prevent the spread of kidney cancer cells by inhibiting their "ability to divide and replicate." It also "induces apoptosis" and "reduces invasiveness and angiogenesis." [3]

Lung Cancer

Non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) include squamous cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma and large-cell carcinoma. NSCLCs make up four out of every five cases of lung cancer. A clinical study found that sufferers of early-stage NSCLC who had higher blood vitamin D levels had better survival rates than those with the least vitamin D in their blood. Further, this same trial raised "recurrence-free survival." [3]

Ovarian Cancer

Research found that, when activated vitamin D was applied to ovarian cancer cells, the growth of those cells was significantly suppressed. Ovarian cells have vitamin D receptors which, when occupied, contribute to the inhibition of "growth-signaling pathways" in ovarian cancer cells. [3]

Prostate Cancer

Research has found that men who have more vitamin D in their blood have a 50% lower chance of developing forms of prostate cancer which are aggressive as compared to men with lower blood levels of vitamin D. [1]

Skin Cancer

Among the different types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most deadly. In vitro research conducted at Saarland University Hospital in Germany revealed that vitamin D lowered the spread of melanoma cells by up to 50%, and there have been other studies conducted elsewhere which have affirmed this finding. [3]

Other Cancers

Other types of cancer which vitamin D has displayed preventive or protective benefits against include leukemia (blood cancer), pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and numerous others. [1]

Conclusion

Dr. Joseph Mercola believes so strongly in the role of vitamin D in fighting cancer that all the patients at his wellness center are tested for blood levels of this vitamin (it is worthwhile to note that, while vitamin D is usually mentioned as a vitamin, it would be more accurate to refer to it as a hormone, as its characteristics more closely resemble the latter).

Indeed, an aggregated review of 63 previous studies discovered that the "evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status... could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects." [1]

When it comes to both cancer prevention and cancer treatment, it is clear that the humble vitamin D cannot be ignored.

One important thing to note is that aggressive oral supplementation of vitamin D can result in toxic overdose and should ideally be carried out under the guidance of a suitable health care practitioner. Undergoing tests on blood vitamin D levels would also be helpful.

Sources for this article include:

[1] Mercola, Joseph, Dr., and Pearsall, Kendra, Dr. Take Control of Your Health. Schaumburg, IL: Mercola.com, 2007. Print.

[2] Murray, Michael, ND, Birdsall, Tim, ND, Pizzorno, Joseph E, ND, and Reilly, Paul, ND. How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2002. Print.

[3] Alschuler, Lise N, ND, FABNO, and Gazella, Karolyn A. The Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing. NY, USA: Celestial Arts, 2010. Print.

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Vitamin D: Are you getting enough of this essential vitamin?

by Michael Ravensthorpe

(NaturalNews) Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and one of the most important vitamins for our overall health. Though five forms of it are known to science (vitamins D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5), the two forms that matter most to us are D2 (ergocalciferol, a synthetic form made by irradiating fungus and plant matter) and D3 (cholecalciferol, a natural form created in our bodies from sunlight exposure). Aside from being more natural, vitamin D3 is 87 percent more potent than vitamin D2, making it the best form of vitamin D for our bodies.

What does vitamin D do?

Facilitates calcium absorption -- Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium in our stomachs while maintaining the concentrations of serum calcium and phosphate needed to enable normal bone mineralization. This is why so many vitamin D supplements also contain calcium (and vice versa): The two nutrients work in tandem to boost bone health. Without sufficient vitamin D, our bones can become brittle, thin and misshapen. An extreme deficiency can lead to rickets (softening and weakening of the bones) in children and osteoporosis (abnormal loss of bone tissue) in older adults.

Maintains cardiovascular health -- Without adequate amounts of vitamin D, the calcium in our bodies can build up in our arteries, leading to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). People suffering from atherosclerosis have a much greater risk of developing heart disease -- including heart attacks and strokes -- than those with healthy arteries. Additionally, studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

Modulates cell growth -- When operating as cholecalciferol, vitamin D is known to decrease cell division and increase the normal maturation of cells. It also helps block the production of proteins that prevent apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, while aiding the proteins that cause it. For these reasons, vitamin D -- like several other vitamins, such as the antioxidant vitamin C -- can directly slow the development of cancer.

Regulates mood -- Have you ever noticed that your mood often improves after spending time in the sunshine? This is because the vitamin D that our bodies synthesize from sunlight increases our monoamine levels. Monoamines, of which serotonin is perhaps the best-known, are neurotransmitters that play a central role in regulating our moods. In fact, many commercial antidepressants work by increasing the amounts of monoamines in our brains. However, unlike commercial antidepressants, sunlight-derived vitamin D increases our monoamine levels naturally and without awful, life-destroying side effects.

How much vitamin D do we need?

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D in adults is 600 international units (IU) in both men and women. However, like so many RDIs from official sources, this number is alarmingly low. Since our bodies produce 10,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D after a mere 30 minutes of full-body sunbathing, it's not difficult to understand that receiving five-digit levels of vitamin D per day (from sunlight or supplements) is not only safe but desirable. 10,000 IU per day, for example, is a good amount for most healthy adults. Moreover, according to Jeff T. Bowles, author of the book The Miraculous Results of Extremely High Doses of Vitamin D3, consuming huge doses of cholecalciferol in supplement form (between 25,000 and 100,000 IU daily) can massively improve our health.

Few foods contain vitamin D, and it's virtually impossible to obtain adequate levels of it from diet alone. That said, the following foods are good dietary sources of vitamin D: fatty fish (especially salmon, mackerel and tuna), fish oils like cod liver oil, raw milk, cheese and egg yolks.

Sources for this article include:

http://ods.od.nih.gov

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

http://www.nhs.uk

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Restore Your Health With Vitamin D

by Jonathan Landsman

(NaturalNews) If you got sick - who would you turn to? Most people would go to a conventionally-trained medical doctor. But, here's the problem, poorly educated, western-trained physicians are not able to teach you about optimal health. So, if doctors don't know about health - why do people rely on them for "treatments"? (Keep reading for better news)

Don't miss an extraordinary program about disease prevention. The next NaturalNews Talk Hour features John Cannell, M.D. - like you've never heard before - talking about the importance of vitamin D. Visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email for FREE show details + a FREE 7-day juice cleanse!

There is a cure for the common cold plus much more

Ask anyone taking 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 or more and they'll (probably) tell you that they never get colds or the flu. According to Professor John White of McGill University and many others - vitamin D has the ability to naturally upregulate literally hundreds of antibiotics or antimicrobial peptides within our body. In other words, don't be fooled by deceptive (toxic flu shot) marketing campaigns - vitamin D works better than drugs!

Think about it - why do more people get a cold or flu - in the winter time? Could it be due to a lack of sunshine and low vitamin D levels within the body? According to John Cannell, M.D. - "pretty much any infectious disease that's common in the winter time is a target of Vitamin D".

Epidemiological studies confirm that the lower your vitamin D levels - the greater your risk of dying from (most) infectious diseases. This week - the NaturalNews Talk Hour will present the facts about Vitamin D and how you can dramatically improve the quality of your life. Click this link - http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email for FREE show details + a FREE 7-day juice cleanse!

The health benefits of vitamin D

Would you like to avoid upper respiratory infections? Between 1988 and 1994, researchers at Harvard Medical School did a study with 19,000 people (aged 12 and older) with an average age of 39, and found a link between low levels of vitamin D and upper respiratory infections. The study found that people with low blood levels of vitamin D were 55 percent more likely to get a cold, flu or upper respiratory infection.

Several scientific studies have shown that vitamin D can protect us from colon, prostate, breast and other cancers. In addition, vitamin D research suggests that it may prevent diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders, schizophrenia and other health-related problems.

This week's guest: John Cannell, M.D., Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council

Learn how to prevent disease with Vitamin D plus much more - Thu. Aug. 16

In 2003, John Cannell, M.D. created the Vitamin D Council due to a renewed interest in clinical nutrition while working as a psychiatrist at the Atascadero State Hospital. A born activist, he has found himself at the forefront of various campaigns in his lifetime, including education reform and anti-smoking campaigns.

Dr. Cannell has published several peer-reviewed papers on vitamin D and often gives talks on the subject all over the United States. Dr. Cannell holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland.

Suzanne

Does vitamin D make you smarter?

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Vitamin D supplementation -- or just getting more time in the sun -- may help stave off cognitive decline in older adults, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The study was conducted by researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, the University of California-San Francisco, the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). It received funding from the NIA and the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Researchers have known for some time that both cognitive impairment and vitamin D deficiency are common in the elderly.

"This study provides increasing evidence that suggests there is an association between low vitamin D levels and cognitive decline over time," lead author Valerie Wilson, MD, said.

Lower vitamin D, worse cognitive performance

The researchers analyzed data on 2,777 well-functioning adults between the ages of 70 and 79 who were enrolled in the Dynamics of Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. The participants were all Medicare-eligible, community-dwelling white or black adults from Pittsburgh, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn., who joined the study between April 1997 and June 1998.

Participants underwent tests of their cognitive function at the beginning of the study and had their vitamin D levels measured 12 months later. Three years after that, participants underwent another cognitive test.

"With just the baseline observational data, you can't conclude that low vitamin D causes cognitive decline," Wilson said. But "[w]hen we looked four years down the road, low vitamin D was associated with worse cognitive performance on one of the two cognitive tests used."

"It is interesting that there is this association and ultimately the next question is whether or not supplementing vitamin D would improve cognitive function over time," he said.

It would take randomized, controlled studies to determine for sure whether vitamin D supplementation could stave off cognitive decline, however.

"Although this study cannot establish a direct cause and effect relationship, it would have a huge public health implication if vitamin D supplementation could be shown to improve cognitive performance over time because deficiency is so common in the population," Wilson said.

She noted that further research could also determine whether specific cognitive abilities are more or less affected by vitamin D deficiency.

"Doctors need this information to make well-supported recommendations to their patients," she said. "Further research is also needed to evaluate whether specific cognitive domains, such as memory versus concentration, are especially sensitive to low vitamin D levels."

Sunlight for brain health

An increasing body of research is linking vitamin D to cognitive function. In a study conducted by researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan, and published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology in 2009, elderly adults with lower vitamin D blood levels also scored lower on tests of memory, attention and orientation in space and time. Studies have also shown that dementia patients tend to have lower vitamin D levels than their cognitively healthy peers.

Scientists have long known that vitamin D builds and maintains healthy bones and teeth, but they have only recently begun to explore the role that it plays in cognitive health. Research has also shown that the vitamin plays an important role in immune function and the prevention of autoimmune disorders, cancer and other chronic diseases.

Vitamin D, nicknamed the "sunshine vitamin," is produced naturally by the skin upon exposure to sunlight. It takes just 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight on the unprotected face and hands for the average light-skinned person to get optimal levels; darker skin requires greater time in the sun.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.wakehealth.edu

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Suzanne,

I have not had time to read through all the material that you have here, but I wanted to add that they have discovered recently that the energy of sunlight is used to make nitric oxide in the skin, which then stores it and slowly releases it during the rest of the day for you. Nitric oxide does a whole lot of generally good things for you and is very essential. This nitric oxide is made without involvement of the creation of vitamin D, though that also is made by the energy of sunlight.

One thing that some might want to know is that vitamin D is created on the skin and it takes a while to absorb into the body. Consequently, it is recommended that people not take a shower for at least 2 hours after being out in the sunlight so they can absorb the vitamin D. If they take a shower right after exercise in the sunlight, they'll wash most of it off with the shower water and it will go down the drain, which is not what most people want.

Thank you, Wendell, for this interesting tidbit of information.

Science Proves That Avoiding Sunshine Doubles Your Risk Of Death

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) The merits of regular sun exposure for optimal health have been reiterated by one of the most comprehensive studies yet to look at the connection between vitamin D and early mortality. Researchers from Sweden, after compiling the results of a 20-year research project they started back in the early 1990s, found that avoiding natural sunlight, or slathering yourself with sunscreen every time you go outside, can actually double your risk of premature death.

The study out of the Karolinska Institute in Solna evaluated nearly 30,000 women over the course of two decades, tracking their outdoor behaviors in conjunction with rates of cancer and early mortality. During this time, the women were asked to fill out questionnaires at certain intervals indicating how often they went to tanning salons or spent time outside in direct sunlight without sunscreen.

At the end of the study period, a total of 2,545 women died, and many of these women had previously admitted to spending little or no time outdoors in the sun. On the flip side, women who regularly spent time in the sun, allowing their skin to absorb vitamin D from the sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, had much lower rates of early death. Overall, women who avoided the sun were determined to have a doubled risk of dying early.

"The results of this study clearly showed that mortality was about double in women who avoided sun exposure compared to the highest exposure group," stated lead study author Dr. Pelle Lindqvist about the findings. "Sun exposure advice which is very restrictive in countries with low solar intensity might in fact be harmful for women's health."

Skin melanomas caused by too little sunlight, reveals study

Though often blamed as the most prominent cause of skin cancer, sun exposure was also found in the study to have protective benefits. Fewer women in the sun-exposed group developed skin melanomas, according to the study, and these same women were also 10 percent less likely to die from skin cancer compared to women who avoided the sun.

This flies in the face of government recommendations from both the U.S. and Canada that urge people to avoid the sun to protect against skin cancer. Not only does avoiding the sun actually increase skin cancer risk, but it also puts people at an increased risk of developing other conditions associated with vitamin D deficiency, including supposedly eradicated conditions like rickets.

"As the authors comment, our bodies need sunlight to make essential vitamin D, which can help us resist some cancer types," said Professor Dorothy Bennett from St. George's University in London to The Telegraph. "Those who normally avoid the sun and/or cover most of their skin are advised to take vitamin D supplements."

With more than half of the world's population now believed to be vitamin D deficient, the new recommendations could not be more timely. Every system of the body requires vitamin D at levels far higher than the average person likely receives on a daily basis, a message that groups like the Vitamin D Council are spreading far and wide in the interest of public health.

"Vitamin D deficiency causes growth retardation and rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis and increase risk of fracture in adults," explains a 2008 study on vitamin D and health published in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. "The vitamin D deficiency has been associated pandemic with other serious consequences including increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

http://www.businessinsider.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms Explained: The Top 9 Warning Signs

by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) The importance of vitamin D is well known. As far back as the 1930s, doctors first recognized the link between a vitamin D deficiency and the skeletal disease called rickets. Rickets causes a softening of the bones and teeth. Even if someone's diet has adequate levels of calcium, without enough vitamin D to properly control calcium and phosphate levels in the blood stream, demineralization of the bones can take place. The symptoms of rickets include bowed legs, bone pain, dental problems, a widening of the wrists, frequent bone fractures and skull deformities.

Because rickets is seldom seen in first-world countries, it's easy to think that vitamin D deficiencies are a thing of the past. However, new research has recently shed light on other, more subtle, symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency. Many illnesses which, at first glance, seem totally unrelated to something as physically obvious as rickets actually may have their roots in a lack of vitamin D.

Just what is vitamin D?
The term vitamin D, according to the Mayo Clinic's Drugs and Supplements site (1), actually refers to several different forms of the vitamin, including D2, which comes from our diet, and D3, which is manufactured by our skin when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D's main purpose in the body is to regulate blood levels of calcium and phosphorous.

The sunshine vitamin?
It's actually hard to get enough vitamin D from a normal diet. It's found at the highest concentration in fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon. Some mushrooms are also high in D, and their level of the vitamin actually increases when exposed to ultraviolet light.

While our skin does manufacture some of the vitamin D that we need daily, sun exposure alone is usually not enough. Factors such as the time of year, the angle of the sun, cloud cover, pollution levels and even the use of sunscreen can greatly limit the amount of D made by our skin.

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms explained: the top 9 warning signs
Some people who have a vitamin D deficiency have no immediate symptoms. Those who do have symptoms may experience restless sleep, muscle cramps, general fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain or weakness, inability to concentrate, headaches, constipation or diarrhea, and bladder problems. Here are nine other serious medical conditions that have been linked to a vitamin D deficiency.

1.Asthma - Vitamin D supplementation of 1,200 IU daily has been shown to lessen asthma attacks and reduce their severity.
2.Depression - Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression and other psychiatric illnesses. Even a woman getting enough D during pregnancy has been shown to lessen the chances that her unborn child will develop mental illness later in life.
3.Heart disease - An article published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2) reports that cardiovascular disease is much more common in people deficient in vitamin D. Some children, according to the article, with severe heart failure have also responded well to vitamin D treatment.
4.High blood pressure - High blood pressure has been associated with deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D.
5.Rheumatoid Arthritis - RA is a devastating disease that causes systemic inflammation, severe pain and joint damage. Studies have shown that vitamin D can ease the pain and stiffness associated with RA.
6.Multiple sclerosis - Studies have shown that geography matters when it comes to the odds of getting MS. The farther from the equator you live -- and the less sun exposure you get -- the more likely you are to develop the disease. This suggests a strong link between MS and vitamin D.
7.Cancer - Several different kinds of cancer have been linked to D deficiencies, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. The causal link is so strong, in fact, that the Mayo Clinic (3) lists separate recommended dosing levels of the vitamin for both cancer prevention and prostate cancer treatment.
8.Periodontal disease - This inflammation of the gums can cause pain, bleeding and tooth loss. Vitamin D helps in the formation of defensins and cathelicidins which, in turn, can lower the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
9.Diabetes - An article from World's Healthiest Foods (4) lists poor blood-sugar control as a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. This, in turn, can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Sources:

1) http://www.mayoclinic.org

2) http://science.naturalnews.com

3) http://www.mayoclinic.org

4) http://whfoods.org

Suzanne

Vitamin D And Osteoporosis: How This 'Miracle' Vitamin Can Restore Optimum Bone Health In Men And Women

by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) More than 50 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, literally "porous bones," a condition that occurs when your body doesn't replace bone cells that are lost naturally over time. (1) Lose too much bone, and your bone density drops, making you much more prone to fractures, especially as you age. Vitamin D has been identified as a primary role player in preventing osteoporosis. Here's how it can help you prevent the disease:

Vitamin D and healthy bones
Nearly everyone understands that calcium is important for developing healthy, strong bones: Calcium helps bones remineralize and make new bone cells to prevent weaknesses and fractures. But many people are unaware that, without adequate vitamin D, calcium would be unable to do its job.

Calcium is one of the most prevalent and most important minerals in your body, and about 99 percent of the calcium that your body contains is found in the teeth and bones. (2) We get calcium from the foods we eat, but once we consume those foods, the calcium needs to be absorbed into the blood and tissues in order to do its job.

Vitamin D helps calcium be absorbed into the blood stream so it can travel to the bones and other parts of the body where it can be used. Without vitamin D, your body would not be able to absorb enough calcium to produce new bone cells and keep your bones strong.

In addition to helping prevent bone loss, vitamin D can also help prevent fractures by strengthening muscles and nerves, making bone-breaking falls less likely to occur.

The link between vitamin D and osteoporosis
People who develop osteoporosis tend to have significantly lower levels of vitamin D in their blood compared to people who don't have the disease. (3) Several studies have examined this link to determine whether taking vitamin D supplements can help prevent the disease from occurring. So far, the results of these studies have been encouraging.

For instance, in one study from the United Kingdom, researchers found that women who took vitamin D supplements had stronger, denser bones than women who were not given the supplement, suggesting that supplementation may provide a viable way to prevent the bone loss that typifies the disease. (4) Likewise, a study from the U.S. looked at older patients with and without osteoporosis and found that those who took vitamin D supplements had a significantly lower level of fractures than those who did not take the supplements. (5)

Are you at risk for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis can affect anyone, but some people have characteristics or habits that place them at greater risk for developing the disease. These are the primary risk factors for developing osteoporosis:

* Female gender (women are about twice as likely as men to have osteoporosis)
* Older age
* Caucasian or Asian race
* Family history
* Small bone structure
* Low sex hormone levels
* Overactive thyroid, parathyroid or adrenal glands
* Sedentary lifestyle
* Smoking
* Excessive use of alcohol
* Poor diet/eating disorders
* Use of some medications, including steroids and some medicines for cancer, depression, immune disorders, gastric reflux and seizures

Especially if you have one or more of these risk factors, taking vitamin D may help prevent or slow the bone loss and loss of bone density that can result in osteoporosis. (6)

Getting enough D
We can get vitamin D from some of the foods we eat, including fatty fish and milk, and we can also get vitamin D from sun exposure. The ultraviolet rays in sunlight cause changes in our skin which help chemicals called previtamin D convert into vitamin D that can be used by our bodies. However, sunscreen, shade and seasonal changes can all have an impact on how much UV exposure our skin receives. In fact, several studies have shown that decreased sun exposure during the winter months results in lower levels of vitamin D and, subsequently, higher numbers of fractures. (7) (8) (9)

Because modern diets and lifestyles can prevent us from getting enough vitamin D through these natural sources, taking a supplement can be an important part of making sure that the body receives enough of the vitamin to help prevent bone loss and to experience other benefits of the vitamin.

Vitamin D helps build strong bones, and it can also help the body in other ways, including strengthening the immune system, preventing diabetes, treating high blood pressure -- even decreasing the risk of certain types of cancer. If you're concerned that you may not be getting enough vitamin D in your regular routine, taking a vitamin supplement could be an ideal solution for ensuring that you're experiencing all the benefits of this miracle vitamin.

Source:

(1) http://nof.org

(2) http://nof.org

(3) https://www.vitamindcouncil.org

(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(5) http://www.nejm.org

(6) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(8) http://jn.nutrition.org

(9) http://osteoporosis.org.za

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Low Vitamin D Levels Increase Risk Of Early Death For 66 Percent Of Americans

by Julie Wilson

(NaturalNews) The sun is quintessential in facilitating life on planet Earth, meeting the biological requirements of species in all forms. In addition to making our existence possible, sunlight makes us feel good, and according to a new study, keeps us alive longer.

While some places on Earth experience endless amounts sunshine, others aren't so lucky. Large populations residing in colder regions consider sunlight a delicacy, many flocking to the Sunbelt of the southern and southwest United States. The equator divides the Earth's surface between the North Pole and the South Pole. The further you are away from the equator, the greater of an angle the sun hits the atmosphere, making it more difficult to absorb the sun's most natural rays, or ultraviolet B (UVB).

Those of us fortunate enough to live in the Sunbelt, have less to worry about when it comes to getting enough vitamin D. The amount of sunlight needed to maintain vitamin D levels depends on a few different factors including the time of day, where you live, the color of your skin and the amount of skin you expose.

Your body produces more vitamin D when exposed to natural light during mid-day when the sun is it hottest. Pale skin absorbs sunlight faster therefore requiring less time spent outside. Those of us with pale skin require about 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily, and those with darker skin tones could need up to two hours in order to acquire enough of the sunshine vitamin.

Factors like air pollution, altitude levels, the weather, and sunscreen can also affect how much sunlight you absorb.

Sunlight essential for optimal health

Regardless of the limitations, getting enough vitamin D is extremely important to living a healthy and happy life. The sunshine vitamin helps facilitate muscle function, strengthens your bones, decreases your chance of heart disease and even reduces the likelihood of getting the flu.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine discovered people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood were 90 percent more likely to die prematurely than those with the highest concentrations of the vitamin. People with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or less experienced a higher risk of dying early.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Cedric Garland reported that approximately 66 percent of the U.S. population suffers from vitamin D deficiency.

"Three years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that having a too-low blood level of vitamin D was hazardous," said Dr. Garland, professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego.

"This study supports that conclusion, but goes one step further. The 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) blood level cutoff assumed from the IOM report was based solely on the association of low vitamin D with risk of bone disease. This new finding is based on the association of low vitamin D with risk of premature death from all causes, not just bone diseases."

The study published in the June 12 issue of American Journal of Public Health, analyzed the blood of more than a half a million participants with an average age of 55, throughout 14 different countries. The publication examined the relationship between vitamin D blood levels and various types of death from 32 studies conducted over nearly an 80 year period.

While foods like salmon, sardines, egg yolks, shrimp, and milk provide us with vitamin D, it's difficult to obtain the amount required through foods, but taking vitamin D supplements can do the trick if you're reluctant or unable get sun exposure.

It's also important to remember that people 50 years or older require more vitamin D than younger folk, and getting too much sun that results in burning is dangerous. "Research to date shows that moderate but frequent sun exposure is healthy but overexposure and intense exposure can increase your risk of skin cancer," according to a report by the Vitamin D Council.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.savingadvice.com

http://www.natureworldnews.com

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/b... target="_blank">http://www.healthline.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219962" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219962

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin... target="_blank">http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

Suzanne

Vitamin D Deficiency Could Be Linked To Early Death, Study Finds

by Sandeep Godiyal

(NaturalNews) A lack of vitamin D might be linked to early death. Vitamin D is common in milk, cheese and other dairy products. It is known by most to come from the sun, and getting sunlight is a part of many exercise regimens. The lack of this vitamin may be more detrimental than first noted by scientists. Without it, staying healthy and surviving disease may be more difficult.

In today's marketplace, foods are fortified with vitamin D. Scientists have known that the body needs this vitamin to live but have now confirmed that lacking this nutrient may cause death. Vitamin D is one of the key components to keeping healthy. The sun is a primary source of this vitamin. There are two main forms that are important for humans, D3 (cholecalciferol) formed by sun exposure and D2 (ergocalciferol) manufactured by fungi. These compounds need transformation by the liver and kidneys before they are useful to the body.

Benefits

Vitamin D is important to protect the body from colds, heart disease, cancer and a host of other ailments. It is believed that, when the body's vitamin D level is low, it is easier for disease to attack the body. The flu can become a serious problem for people with weakened immune systems. Thousands die from cancer each year, but people with low vitamin D levels are more susceptible to such life-threatening illnesses. Some feel that vitamin D levels affects a person's ability to lose weight, but studies have shown no significant evidence. This nutrient is especially helpful when combating colon cancer.

How the body uses vitamin D

The body uses vitamin D to transmit nerve messages throughout the body. It aids in keeping the bones strong and fights off viruses. The strongest foods for vitamin D are mackerel, salmon and other fish with high fat content. Getting enough of this nutrient may slow the progress of many diseases. Although vitamin D is manufactured when skin is exposed to sunlight, having darker skin or sitting indoors reduces the absorption level.

Studies

Research studies of over 500,000 people from around the world have shown that people lacking vitamin D in their blood are subject to more life-threatening illness than groups with higher concentrations of this vitamin in the body. It has been discovered that the body requires 1,000 to 2,000 IU of this nutrient, yet the daily dose listed by the National Institutes of Health is 600 IU. This is a diverse range for what is considered optimal.

Since many foods have this vitamin included in their makeup, getting the amount needed is possible if a proper diet is a part of the daily routine. Each person has a different level of vitamin D. This makes it important to seek medical advice before seeking to increase vitamin D intake. More people are taking supplements, working tirelessly to fight off illness, but an overuse of supplements can create other problems.

Sources :
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

http://www.natureworldnews.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Vitamin D Supplementation - How Will It Help Me Improve My Health?

by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) Imagine a line stretching across the U.S. from Philadelphia in the East to just north of San Francisco in the West. That's about 40 degrees latitude. If you live north of that line, chances are, you're not getting enough vitamin D. And even if you live in the more southerly latitudes, if you're not getting outside to enjoy the sunshine for at least 15 minutes each day, it's pretty likely you're not getting enough D either. Likewise if you're dark-skinned, overweight or older.

That's because most of us get our D vitamins through sun exposure. When exposed to the UV rays of the sun, compounds in the skin work to convert chemicals into vitamin D. People in more northern latitudes are seasonally limited to the amount of sun they receive, and for those who have dark skin or who are older, the skin isn't as efficient at converting sunlight to vitamin D.

Vitamin D is different from other vitamins because it's available in only a few foods -- mostly fatty fish and mushrooms that have been exposed to UV rays. As a result, vitamin D supplementation is typically the best way for most people today to ensure that they get enough of the vitamin.

Until just a few decades ago, vitamin D's effects were largely believed to be solely related to healthy bones. Researchers understood that vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for healthy bone development. But more recently, evidence has surfaced that's shown there's much more to this vitamin than originally believed.

Strengthening Bones and Muscles
Multiple studies have shown that the risk of fractures, especially among older people, is significantly higher when vitamin D levels are low. In a summary of evidence found in 12 studies, researchers determined that taking vitamin D supplements reduced hip and other non-spinal fractures by 20 percent. (1)

And another study found that, among an older population, vitamin D's muscle-strengthening powers helped decrease the risk of falls -- a common cause of disability and death -- by nearly 20 percent. (2)

Preventing Heart Disease
Just like bone and muscle cells, heart cells also have special receptors that attract and bind vitamin D. No surprise, since the heart itself is a type of muscle. Multiple studies have found that vitamin D deficiency contributes to heart disease, although the reasons why aren't clearly understood. Many researchers believe that it's because vitamin D can help prevent three of the most common diseases that contribute to heart disease -- high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and diabetes.

Preventing Cancer
To date, studies have shown a strong link between low levels of vitamin D and the development of colorectal cancers, but more studies are being conducted to learn how the vitamin may play a role in the development and prevention of other cancers, including breast and prostate cancers.

Preventing Kidney Disease
Studies conducted during the past decade have shown that low levels of vitamin D play a role in the development of kidney disease, but as recently as last year, researchers learned that monitoring the levels of the vitamin can actually help identify the disease in its earliest stages before significant kidney damage occurs. According to the results of that study, people with deficient levels of vitamin D were two times as likely to have protein in their urine -- a condition known as proteinuria, one of the earliest signs of kidney damage. (3)

Strengthening the Immune Function
Low levels of vitamin D have been shown to contribute to tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, flu and even the common cold. It's also been associated with type I diabetes, the type of diabetes that's related to the immune system and begins almost exclusively in childhood. Low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with type II diabetes, which usually occurs in adults over the age of 40 and is not associated with the immune system. Most researchers believe that the vitamin's ability to ward off inflammation is at the root of its immune-boosting abilities. (4)

Studies indicate that about 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. (5) Especially in recent years, vitamin D's role in preventing a host of diseases is becoming more clearly understood. Multiple studies are underway to explain these roles, but one thing is clear: Getting enough vitamin D is vitally important to maintaining good health. Since getting enough of the vitamin can be so difficult, taking a supplement is the best way to enjoy its benefits.

Source:

(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(2) http://www.bmj.com

(3) http://www.kidney.org

(4) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu

(5) http://www.nejm.org

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

I didn't look to see if the following link was already posted:

http://www.realfarmacy.com/scientists-blow-the-lid-on-cancer-sunscreen-myth/

What They Won't Tell You: The Sun Is A Full-spectrum Medicine That Can Heal Cancer

by Paul Fassa

(NaturalNews) "Those that have attempted to convince the world that the Sun, the Earth's primary source of energy and life causes cancer, have done so with malicious intent to deceive the masses into retreating from the one thing that can prevent disease." -- Dave Mihalovic, Naturopathic Doctor
and writer. [1]

Truth is, we've been systematically lied to about the sun and skin cancer for years. This video presentation explains fully. How many know that there is no definitive proof that the sun alone causes skin cancer? [2]

Can the sun cure cancer?

In the book The Healing Sun, author Dr. Richard Hobday documents a wide array of studies which show that the sun protects against cancer of the breast, colon, ovaries and prostate. It can also prevent diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and high blood pressure, osteoporosis, psoriasis and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). [3]

Then there's the case of Dr. Harland G. Call, who was diagnosed with skin cancer and was advised by a surgeon to have it removed. Instead, he decided to sunbath the cancerous area.

After a short period of continuous sunbathing, the skin cancer was completely gone. He returned to his MD for a confirmation, and his doctor confirmed that the skin cancer had disappeared and no surgery was required. [3]

According to Dr. Bernarr Zovluck, "Cancer is helped by sunbathing, writes Dr. Zane R. Kime. Kime writes
that those who get more sunlight have less cancer. Sunbathing heals
cancer by building up the immune system and increasing the oxygen in the
tissues." [4]

Still, we're bombarded almost daily with dire "warnings" from reputable "authorities" admonishing us, for our own good of course, to avoid the sun at all costs.

Epidemic levels of sun phobia

For example, Dr. Robin Ashinoff, chief of dermatological and cosmetic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center advised: "Wearing sunscreen and then deliberately going out in the sun is almost as [bad] as going out with no sunscreen at all."

She continued, "You don't get burned, but the UV rays are still getting into your skin. Sunscreen is important, but you should also wear the right clothing and shield yourself as much as possible from direct sun exposure." [5]

Is Dr. Ashinoff advocating a vampire lifestyle? The reality is that the vast majority of people, including doctors, have been duped into believing the myth that the sun is toxic, carcinogenic and a deadly health hazard.

That's why most people slavishly and lavishly slather toxic sunscreens on their skin whenever they anticipate direct contact with the sun's rays. But in fact, most conventional sunscreens are cancer-causing biohazards. [6] [7]

Meanwhile, the multi-billion-dollar cancer industry and the billion-dollar toxic sunscreen industry are making hay with this hoax. True believers are left scratching their heads in bewilderment as statistics reveal that the dreaded malignant melanoma skin cancer is on the rise. [8]

The sun doctor

Dr. Auguste Rollier opened the first European "Sun Clinic" in 1903 at Leysin, Switzerland. He also wrote a very influential book: Heliotherapy. He was considered the most famous heliotherapist in the world.

At his peak, he operated 36 clinics. Dr. Rollier espoused that the sun was an unsurpassed broad-spectrum medicine. He healed his patients using a wholesome diet combined with the power of the sun.

By 1933, there were over 165 different diseases successfully treated with heliotherapy including tuberculosis, wounds, rickets and much more. Dr. Rollier's death in 1954 marked the end of sun therapy not because it was ineffective, but because it had been replaced by Big Pharma's "miracle drugs." [9]

Sources for this article include:

[1] http://preventdisease.com

[2] https://www.youtube.com

[3] http://online.wsj.com

[4] http://curezone.org

[5] http://www.northjersey.com

[6] http://www.faim.org

[7] http://www.naturalnews.com

[8]http://institutefornaturalhealing.com

[9] http://www.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Vitamin D Hailed In The Fight Against Heart Disease, Alzheimer's Disease And Diabetes

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) Scientific research bodies extolling the amazing virtues of the prohormone vitamin D have been published in rapid succession to explain the preventive mechanism shown to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Three independent reviews demonstrate that maintaining a vitamin D blood level between 50 and 70 ng/mL can provide optimal protection against many chronic diseases.

Researchers' publishing in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases provide evidence that vitamin D is intrinsically involved in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Disruption of the body's natural stasis system contributes to diabetes, obesity, elevated blood lipids, high blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, stroke and risk of coronary artery disease. Scientists advise supplementation of 4,000 to 8,000 IU of vitamin D per day to achieve optimal levels, far above the anemic 400 IU currently recommended.

Scientists at the University of Miami's School of Medicine demonstrate a direct genetic link between low vitamin D levels and the development of amyloid proteins in the brain, commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease. Reporting in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, researchers looked at gene signaling in relation to the vitamin D receptor in 492 late onset Alzheimer's patients and 496 control subjects.

Vitamin D controls genetic receptors to guard against chronic disease

When vitamin D receptors were not activated on the surface of individual cells due to poor vitamin D saturation in the blood, precise gene signaling went awry that halted normal clearance of the dementia-related protein clumps. The team conducting the study concluded "Our findings are consistent with epidemiology studies suggesting that vitamin D insufficiency increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease."

Researchers in Spain evaluated the vitamin D status of 1,226 individuals in 1996. The participants were again tested eight years later, and vitamin D levels were contrasted with development of diabetes over the course of the study. The results, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, found that those with vitamin D blood levels above 18.5 ng/mL had an 83 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the eight-year period. No one in the study with a vitamin D score over 30 ng/mL developed type 2 diabetes.

It has become very clear from countless research studies published over the past decade that vitamin D qualifies among the most crucial and essential hormone-based nutrients. And still millions of people continue to place themselves at unnecessary risk by ignoring this information.

Most people above the age of twenty-one should supplement with a minimum of 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day and have their blood tested to ensure they reach the optimal range of 50 to 70 ng/mL. Extensive research provides more than sufficient evidence that maintaining a proper vitamin D level can dramatically lower the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease diabetes and many other chronic illnesses.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.nmcd-journal.com

http://www.wellnessresources.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.wellnessresources.com

http://www.sciencedirect.com

Suzanne

Artificial light exposure, lack of sunlight tied to cancer, diabetes and depression, evidence shows

by Mayimina Mutijiang

(NaturalNews) Natural light from the sun is very important to the general health and well-being of humans. Recent research has reinforced this; humans need to have regular and prolonged exposure to this natural light so they can experience optimal health.

According to one research team, however, not all the news is good.

For many people, a sort of double-whammy ensues in that they not only don't get sufficient sunlight during the day, but that during the evening, they surround themselves with unnatural lights that researchers say is physiologically unsettling.

A simple solution can make the difference between a person's mood as well as their overall health. Implementing these methods on a regular basis can even help ward off chronic diseases.

Let's take a closer look at what researchers found about artificial light exposure.

From sleep disruptions to developing cancers, researchers warn of artificial light

For 30 years, Richard Stevens, a cancer epidemiologist at UConn Health, has been studying how the human body reacts to artificial lighting.

His latest research hones in on the tendency of humans to spend a great deal of time indoors and away from the sun, followed by hours in the dark surrounded by artificial lighting. For example, many people rest in bed in the evening browsing through their laptop or cell phone, basked in the glow of light that's emitted from these devices.

His team discovered that those who used e-readers had more reduced levels of the sleep-promoting hormone, melatonin, in their system compared to study participants who read a physical paper book.

"It's become clear that typical lighting is affecting our physiology," says Stevens. "We're learning that better lighting can reduce these physiological effects. By that we mean dimmer and longer wavelengths in the evening, and avoiding the bright blue of e-readers, tablets, and smart phones."

Simply put, the body was designed to be immersed in natural light for many hours a day, not artificial light for long periods of time at night.

Surrounding ourselves with such lighting can lead to serious health problems beyond sleep disruptions.

Steven's adds that "there's growing evidence that the long-term implications of this have ties to breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, and depression, and possibly other cancers."

"Too much light at night" problematic for health

Along with a co-author of his study, which was published in the British journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Stevens expressed that though time, artificial lighting has become increasingly problematic.

An abstract from the journal states:

Over many, many years, an endogenous circadian rhythmicity has developed in almost all life forms in which daily oscillations in physiology occur. This allows for anticipation of sunrise and sunset.

It's explained that such rhythms are based on a 24-hour cycle. But the article published in the journal says that changes in people's habits have altered this. It says:

However, since the introduction of electric lighting, there has been inadequate light during the day inside buildings for a robust resetting of the human endogenous circadian rhythmicity, and too much light at night for a true dark to be detected; this results in circadian disruption and alters sleep/wake cycle, core body temperature, hormone regulation and release, and patterns of gene expression throughout the
body.

The harm of blue light, simple solutions to this modern issue

Today's modern devices -- from smart phones and tablets to e-readers -- emit a blue light that is harmful to people. As mentioned, this artificial blue light changes the body's own natural circadian rhythm while also suppressing melatonin, the human body's sleep-inducing hormone.

Such lighting of what should otherwise remain a naturally dark environment impacts every living thing from humans and animals to plants and insects.

Steven's notes that this study reinforces what many others have touched on in that artificial light can be detrimental to overall health. However, he says that people do not need to deprive themselves of light at night time.

Instead, he suggests people switch from e-readers to old fashioned books when reading in the evening in order to minimize disruption to the body. "It doesn't mean you have to turn all the lights off at eight o'clock every night," he says, "it just means if you have a choice between an e-reader and a book, the book is less disruptive to your body clock."

Lights that help maintain a human's circadian rhythm at night tend to be dim and red like that emitted by incandescent bulbs, so giving those lights consideration is also recommended.

Sources:

http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org

http://today.uconn.edu

http://www.health.harvard.edu

http://truthwiki.org/Sleep

http://truthwiki.org/How_Sleep_Affects_Hormo...

http://truthwiki.org/Adrenal_Fatigue

http://truthwiki.org/The_Glymphatic_System

http://truthwiki.org/Signs_of_Sleep_Deprivat...

Suzanne

Sunlight is GOOD For Your Eyes! Lower Risk of Nearsightedness Associated With More Time Outdoors

by Melanie Grimes

(NaturalNews) Sunshine can reduce eye problems, new research shows. In addition to the many benefits of being outdoors, a study has now shown that nearsightedness, also known as myopia, was less common among children who spend more time outdoors each day.

The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), observed two groups of first-graders in China. One group was encouraged to spend an additional 40 minutes playing outdoors, while the other wasn't. After three years, the students who were outside more often had a 23 percent less onset of myopia than the other.

As many as half the children in the United States are thought to suffer from myopia. The condition is even more widespread in China and most of East Asia. At present, there are no known treatments to completely prevent it.

What is myopia?

Myopia is a medical condition commonly referred to as nearsightedness. People with myopia cannot clearly perceive objects in the distance, though they can see objects that are close to them. Myopia occurs if the eyeball is elongated or if there is a curvature to the cornea, the clear cover of the eye. If the light coming into the eye is not focused properly, distant objects tend to look blurry.

It is estimated that 30 percent of Americans have myopia. The condition is made even worse by eye strain caused by reading, looking at computer screens or using cellphones. Myopia is usually first observed during a child's early years of schooling. The eye continues to grow until the age of 20, so the condition can set in at any time before then. Myopia can also develop later in life from severe eye strain or from health conditions, such as diabetes.

One of the first indicators of nearsightedness is an inability to see a school chalkboard or television screen. The condition can be corrected by glasses, contact lenses or laser surgery. Another non-surgical option is corneal refractive therapy, which involves wearing special contact lenses that cause the cornea curvature to reshape and become flatter, thereby causing less blurriness from the light entering the eye.

Sunlight exposure prevents nearsightedness

The research on sunlight and vision was conducted by Dr. Mingguang He of the Sun Yat-sen University of Guangzhou. For three years, 1,900 first-graders from twelve different schools in the same area were observed. Six of the schools maintained the normal school schedule, while the other six allowed the children to play outside for 40 minutes more each day. Parents of those in the latter group were also encouraged to allow their children to play outside more frequently.

By the end of the three-year research period, 39.5 percent of children from schools that had no extra outdoor playtime developed myopia. On the other hand, the children who were outside more often registered a 30.4 percent incidence of nearsightedness, showing a 9.1 percent difference between the two groups.

While more research is needed to confirm these findings, this study adds to the already extensive list of benefits we could get from outdoor activities — Vitamin D for the skin, mood improvement, disease prevention and even cancer reduction.

The bottom line is: playing outside, being outside, enjoying nature and being exposed to the right amount of sunshine is not only good for the eyes, but for the body and the soul as well.

Sources:

NaturalNews.com

CBS.news.com

AOA.org

NaturalNews.com

Suzanne

Latest Study Links Vitamin D Deficiency In Men To Increased Risk Of Prostate Cancer

by Antonia

(NaturalNews) A vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of health problems ranging from depression to increased levels of bone fractures in adults and even certain cancers.

One of the latest studies confirms the importance of having proper levels of vitamin D in the system, concluding that men with low levels of vitamin D are at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study, conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, assessed 275 European-American men and 273 African-American men between the ages of 40 and 79.

Overall, African-American men were 4.89 times more likely to develop prostate cancer while European-American men with the lowest levels of vitamin D were less likely to develop it: 3.66 times more likely. When men with the lowest levels of vitamin D were assessed, African-American men were 4.22 times more likely to develop a later stage tumor, called a T2b tumor, which is isolated in the prostate. In comparison, European-American men with the lowest vitamin D levels were only 2.42 times more likely to get this tumor.

It's suggested that skin coloring and sunlight absorption ability (a main way to obtain vitamin D naturally) plays a role. Researchers explain that this could be a possible reason why the African-American men had an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, as these numbers suggest.

Top vitamin D researcher, William Grant, Ph.D., agrees. He says, "Those with darker skin should take higher vitamin D supplementation."

Best ways to increase vitamin D levels

Aside from exposing the body to sunlight for up to 30 minutes twice weekly, a vitamin D supplement may be taken to boost its levels in the system. Vitamin D can also be found in certain foods such as salmon and whole milk, but fortunately it also exists in almond milk (one cup has about 100 IU of vitamin D) and in mushrooms.

Certain mushrooms in particular have been identified as a good source. For example, portobello mushrooms contain about 400 IUs of vitamin D per 3-ounce serving, or one cup, diced. Some experts advise resting purchased mushrooms in sunlight to reap the benefits. Paul Stamets, Founder of Fungi Perfecti and an advisor at the Program of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson explains that " . . . up to 12 hours of sun exposure to upside-down (gills up) shiitakes created 46,000 IU of vitamin D . . ."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.livestrong.com

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/vegan-sources-vitamin-d-3797.html

-Suzanne

Sun Exposure Cuts The Risk Of Certain Cancers In Half

by L.J. Devon, Staff Writer

(NaturalNews) It's an absolute miracle, an alliance of divine life, how the Earth is positioned, so delicately in relation to the sun. Two stellar bodies communicating with such intricacy and harmony in space and time, one sphere rotating in seasonal rhythm, the other projecting flares of brilliant heat and light.

Every living thing -- from dragonflies to orangutans, from dandelions to oak trees, from mushrooms to humans -- peers beyond their plot on the sphere of Earth, looking up through the atmosphere to absorb the ever-powerful rays of the flaming sun.

In the industrialized world, many men and women have fled to the shade, working under roofs day in and day out. Naturally, the skin craves the sun's light; it yearns for its immune-system-stimulating vitamin D, but humans today often go for long periods without absorbing these powerful rays. Spending a little time basking in this great energy source creates a disconnection between humans and their health, between humans and their energy fields.

Do you see the sun as cancer-causing or cancer-preventing?

We are less acclimated to the natural heat and light of the sun. We are less at one with this life-giving power. Our skin can easily lack vital antioxidants, too. The sun's rays are not always used effectively anymore, especially when the skin and body are not properly acclimated to absorb the sun's energy. The sun may burn, may cause skin to peel, creating fear of sun and fear of skin cancer.

But the majestic energy source we call the sun may not be to blame, even though some medical authorities have suggested that it is the evil behind many skin cancer cases today.

According to studies conducted by Professor Rachel Neale from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia, cancer risk can actually be slashed significantly, in HALF, when people are exposed to more time in the sun. In her studies, she found out that those who lived in areas receiving higher levels of UV rays had a 30 to 40 percent lower chance of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Some epidemiology studies showed how excess sun exposure can cut the risk of certain cancers by 50 percent.

"We certainly are not hand on heart saying this is definitely true, in these types of epidemiological studies we are always very cautious about saying something is casual, but we do see an association between UV exposure and some cancers," she said.

30 minutes of sun a day can be the powerful medicine that keeps the doctor away

To back up her study, Professor Neale is recruiting 25,000 Australians over 60 to participate in a study examining how vitamin D reduces esophageal, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The five-year study will also investigate the difference between vitamin D pills and vitamin D obtained straight from the sun. From her experience, Professor Neale believes that everyone should be getting sun exposure every day. "Even if it's only for 2-3 minutes each day, it will be enough to get that source of vitamin D," Professor Neale said.

The Cancer Council proposes that everyone obtain at least 30 minutes of sun exposure in the middle of each day, to keep the doctor away.

"Exposing more skin in a short period of time is better than less skin in the long run. Go outside and lift your shirt or pants up -- show your tummy and legs." This is especially important for naturally dark-skinned people, expecting mothers or those who work indoors. Additionally, children can develop rickets when they don't have enough vitamin D circulating in their blood. This causes soft bones in adulthood.

The sun is basically the freest of all medicines, available to all. Utilizing this energy and harnessing its timeless power ultimately increases levels of circulating vitamin D, empowering the immune system, which is ultimately the vessel that cures a body's cancerous state.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

-Suzanne-

Another Huge Benefit Of Sunshine Exposure: Nitric Oxide Production Boosts Cardiovascular Health

by L.J. Devon, Staff Writer

(NaturalNews) As sunlight shines through the sheets of rain, we stare in awe at the arcing rainbow of colors appearing across the sky. Perhaps this beautiful geometry and spectrum of colors is an indication of an eclectic palette of medicines existing in the sun's rays. For a moment, as the rainbow comes into view, we catch a glimpse of the colors. Maybe these streaming colors represent powers we cannot see – a variety of natural medicines all emanating from the sun.

Scientists have isolated one of those powers – vitamin D – and have documented some of the various immune system boosting benefits obtained as vitamin D is utilized within the human body. Now researchers are finding various other benefits from sunlight that have nothing to do with vitamin D; apparently sunlight communicates with the human body in more ways than one.

Sunlight tells cardiovascular system to produce more nitric oxide, relaxing blood vessels

The most recent discoveries on sunlight point to its ability to improve the human cardiovascular system. Sunlight tells our bodies to produce more nitric oxide, prompting increased relaxation of blood vessels, promising protection throughout the entire cardiovascular system. This also translates to increased production of serotonin, leading to better mental health.

In his studies, Dr. Richard Weller from Edinburgh University found that with increased sun exposure, the elderly enjoy lower risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Remarkably, the positive cardiovascular effect had nothing to do with vitamin D. Another component within sunlight communicates directly with the body's nitric oxide production, allowing the blood vessels to widen, improving cardiovascular health.

Lack of sun is a worse habit than smoking

In another study, the sunbathing habits of 30,000 Swedish women were followed for 20 years. The Karolinska Institute analyzed the data and published the results in the Journal of Internal Medicine. The death rate for women who had the least exposure to ultraviolet light was twice the amount compared to women who sunbathed once a day. The research showed that avoiding the sun is just as bad a habit as smoking.

Sunlight has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body

The science behind sunlight centers on its anti-inflammatory effect when it is utilized in the body. In the winter months, the body's immune system is more apt to have an inflammatory response to combat infections. In contrast, in the summertime, there is a marked decrease in inflammation that is linked to sunlight. Cambridge University researchers explain that sunlight communicates with the body to reduce inflammatory response. In the long run this is even more beneficial, since long-term inflammation in itself can lead to disease.

Sunlight helps the body use insulin more effectively

When the spectrum of ultraviolet light was applied to mice on high fat diets at the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh, researchers noticed another amazing benefit: Sunlight stopped the development of obesity and the markers for type 2 diabetes. The results had nothing to do with vitamin D, but did confirm that sunlight tells the body to boost production of nitric oxide. The studies showed that sunlight itself helps the body use insulin more properly, preventing diabetes from setting in.

Sunlight speaks to our genes, altering them in positive ways[/I]

Speaking with Good Health, Dr. Weller also described how sunlight improves human genetics, showing once again that genes are not set in stone. "Last year, Cambridge University scientists showed that the expression of 28 per cent of our entire genetic make-up varies from season to season," he said. "It also appears that sunlight alters the way that our genes behave."

Dr. Weller says, "There is a correlation between more sun and less disease in a variety of conditions such as multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis (where arteries are clogged by fatty substances known as atheroma)."

"As well as nitric oxide and gene expression, I think there will be other factors that we have yet to discover," he says.

Some of the most obvious effects of sunlight are its antidepressant effect on the mind. This powerful effect is actually communicated through sensors in the retina. Sunlight's main wavelength enters the retina, regulating melatonin hormones from there, allowing for more positive thought and more restful sleep.

So, as the next rainbow comes into view, let the precision of the arc and each color of that beautiful ribbon of light be a reminder of the various sun medicines communicating with the body, improving our quality of life in many different ways.

[b]Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Science.NaturalNews.com

-Suzanne-