The Sun Vitamin - Could You Be Deficient?

The Sun Vitamin or Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin at all. It is a prohormone that is necessary for a number of functions in the body from sustaining blood calcium levels, to promoting bone formation to supporting strong immune function. A prohormone is a substance that is a precursor to a hormone. This important prohormone that our species has gleaned from the interaction with sunlight has slowly lost it's hold on us. According to a continually growing body of evidence, that loss is costing us dearly in terms of health. A study published in the July issue of the Annals of Epidemiology suggests that "higher serum levels of the main circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, are associated with substantially lower incidence rates of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, pancreatic, aggresive prostate and other cancers". The study concluded that raising the national minimum year-round serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level to 40 - 60 ng/ml would prevent roughly 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year.

So should we throw caution to the wind and lounge lizard our way through the summer? The rays of sun that cause D synthesis are also the rays that burn our skin. UVB rays are strongest between the hours of 10 and 2 during the summer at higher latitudes and stronger for longer daylight periods in lower latitudes. It's the bad burn from UVB rays that cause changes to the melanocytes in our skin which are the cells affected in the deadliest form of skin cancer; malignant melanoma. So while exposure to UVB for Vitamin D is important, staying in the sun for too long unprotected can cause significant sun damage. Light skinned individuals need 10-20 minutes and dark skinned individuals need 90-120 minutes of sun exposure. The other consideration is exposure to UVA rays. Until recently, most sun screens did not provide broad spectrum protection against this other sun ray. UVA is responsible for the browning effect and penetrates into the deeper layers where it can cause damage to the basal cells of the innermost layer of the epidermis. This can cause the ever common basal cell carcinoma.

Enjoying the sun wisely is important to boost our vitamin D levels and for a host of other health benefits such as boosting seratonin levels. However, between the months of September and May those who live at latitudes of 40 degrees or greater will not produce adequate levels of this nutrient, even on a bright and sunny day. In fact, a study conducted at Boston University Medical School showed that human skin exposed to sunlight on cloudless days in Boston (42.2 degrees N) from November through February produced no Vitamin D at all. Some Vitamin D can be obtained by consuming fish such as wild-caught salmon and sardines as well as eggs (D from the yolks). Healthcare providers are now using the new data to suggest that individuals should use supplemental vitamin D in the form of D3, also called cholecalciferol. Doctors are becoming versed in the issues related to vitamin D deficiency and are also ordering blood tests to check blood levels. The recommended safe dose has shifted from 400 IU's to 2000 IU's per day.

Talk to your doctor about testing your blood to see if your body is maintaining the minimum as reviewed in the newest literature. The importance of this vital nutrient cannot be underestimated in the face of such profound research. So enjoy a little sunshine for your health.