There has been a lot of discussion lately about vitamin D and it’s role in preventing and possibly treating disease. Vitamin D3 is produced by your body when your unprotected skin is exposed to sunlight for only 20 to 30 minutes. Yet the RDA for vitamin D remains at 200 IU’s per day. Shouldn’t it be much higher? Especially for people living in areas where sun exposure is limited. In Vancouver, at this time of year, we don’t see the sun very much. This article will talk a little bit about what vitamin D is, what it does, and how much you should get.

Vitamin D is actually not really a vitamin. According to Wikipedia, it is in fact a secosteroid hormone that targets over 1000 genes in the body. Vitamin D is made up of fat-soluble prohormones, the most common being vitamins D2(ergocalciferiol) and D3(cholecalciferol). Vitamin D helps to maintain a number of organ systems. It has a significant influence on important biological functions which are necessary to maintain health.

Vitamin D is no longer being ignored by the health care community and health conscious consumers who are students of natural health.

• The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that adults should supplement with 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day during the fall and winter. They base this recommendation on the growing evidence for a link between vitamin D and a reduced risk for colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.
• A search of primary and review medical literature published between 1970 and 2007 found an increasing body of research supporting the hypothesis that the active form of vitamin D has significant, protective effects against the development of cancer.
• The vitamin D hormone, calcitriol, has been found to induce death of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Vitamin D deficiencies caused by a nutrient deficient diet and insufficient exposure to sunlight can lead to many disease conditions and disorders. According to the Vitamin D Council, vitamin D deficiency can lead to impaired bone mineralization, rickets in children, osteomalacia, and possibly osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to 17 different cancers, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, many autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, birth defects, periodontal disease and more.

The number one cause of Vitamin D deficiency is inadequate exposure to the sun. It is recommended that everyone should receive 20 – 30 minutes of unprotected sunlight exposure per day. This level of exposure will allow your body to produce up to 20 000 IU’s of vitamin D. The darker your skin pigmentation is, the longer the exposure required. But what about the risk of skin cancer? Studies show that the farther away from the equator you live the greater your chance of developing many cancers, including skin cancer. Vitamin D protects your body from skin cancer as well as other cancers. Full body exposure for 20 to 30 minutes is a safe level of exposure for the average person without burning the skin.

A top cancer doctor recommends sun exposure in the summer and sun bed exposure during the winter. The link to the full article is here.

Top Cancer Doctor says we SHOULD use Sunbeds

First, take a look at where you live (geographic location) and your lifestyle. How much exposure to strong sunlight do you get on a daily basis? Consult your health care practitioner to have yourself tested. The Vitamin D Council has a new Vitamin D Test Kit available through ZRT Labs which is available to order online.

You probably want to know how to ensure you are getting enough of this essential nutrient. Given that your skin will produce almost 10 times the US governments’s recommended daily dose in only 20 minutes I wouldn’t worry too much about exceeding their ineffectively low daily allowance.

The Vitamin D Council recommends 3 ways for adults to obtain good levels of vitamin D.

1. Regular use of a sun bed (do not allow yourself to burn) during the colder months.

2. Take 5000 IU per day for three months, then have a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. Adjust your dosage so that blood levels are between 50-80 ng/mL year around.

Cancer Risk and Vitamin D

A number of studies have shown a strong link to many cancers and vitamin D deficiency. Epidemiological studies also show that the incidence of cancer and other chronic illnesses increase significantly in areas where there is less (and less intense) sunshine. Mike Adams from Natural News has a great special report Breast Cancer Deception, which plays particular attention to Vitamin D and Breast Cancer.

Creighton University reported results of it’s landmark study in June 2007 showing that postmenopausal women consuming optimal amounts of calcium supplements as well as vitamin D3 supplements at three times the US government recommended levels could reduce their risk of cancer by 60 – 77 percent. More information is available at the Vitamin D Council website.

Depression and Vitamin D

Studies on bright light alone (with no vitamin D producing ultraviolet B) show that it clearly improves mood. Does vitamin D have an affect on depression in addition to bright light in the visible spectrum? There is evidence of significant improvement in subjects with Seasonal Affective Disorder when taking various doses of Vitamin D2 or D3.

After you finish reading this article, check out the Vitamin D Council website for more great information on this unique vitamin. Join their email list to receive their newsletter for updates on everything Vitamin D! Also, make sure you check out Mike Adams article on Vitamin D and Cancer on naturalnews.com and subscribe to the Natural News email list for regular news on Health Freedom and natural remedies that work. And finally bookmark or RSS this blog and join my community here by signing in at the top right corner of the site!

So… remember to bring your sunscreen with you to the beach but don’t apply it until after your 20 – 30 minutes of full body unprotected exposure. And make sure you are using a natural sunscreen which will protect you from sun burn without poisoning your system.