The vitamin D miracle: Is it for real?

Globe and Mail ^ | March 8, 2008 | MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

[decimon]

The claims have been sensational. Martin Mittelstaedt checks up on the research behind the hype

In the summer of 1974, brothers Frank and Cedric Garland had a heretical brainwave.

The young epidemiologists were watching a presentation on death rates from cancer county by county across the United States. As they sat in a lecture hall at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore looking at the colour-coded cancer maps, they noticed a striking pattern, with the map for colon cancer the most pronounced.

Counties with high death rates were red; those with low rates were blue. Oddly, the nation was almost neatly divided in half, red in the north and blue in the south. Why, they wondered, was the risk of dying from cancer greater in bucolic Maine than in highly polluted Southern California?

[STARWISE]

~~PING!

[Bahbah]

Years ago, when my oldest was just a baby, we lived in Wisconsin and she developed an odd rash in the middle of winter.

The doctor said to take her out and expose her entire little self to the sun for short periods of time as much as possible. It worked.

[Syncro]

Perhaps you could ask your Dr. Son about the controversy over vitamin E

I always thought it was beneficial, but not sanctioned as such

I took 400 I.U. for quite some time until my heart Dr. told me it would interfere with cardiac medicine. It always seemed to work well to help prevent scaring when applied topically, but now there is “evidence” that it is linked to lung cancer when taken internally.

Thanks for the info on vitamin D, you are indeed a Wise Star

[Syncro]

Oh, I forgot to include this Link

[STARWISE]

I will do that .. I recently saw that
article, too, and I’ve been taking 400
IUs/day for years. Will let you know
his take.

[STARWISE]

I believe it .. the sun has
miraculous powers.

[Bahbah]

I believe it .. the sun has miraculous powers.

You absolutely can. The good doctor, who was mighty cute, by the way, realized she had a Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sun and short periods of exposure could remedy that.

[WVNan]

If you look at the charts male and female colon cancer by state W. Virginia & Kentucky are # 1 & 2,

Think about it. The livable space in these states lies mainly in the shady hollers between the mountains; "where the sun comes up, about 10 in the mornin' and the sun goes down about 3 in the day." (You'll Never Leave Harlen Alive, Patty Lovelace).

[nuconvert]

Funny you should bring up that song.....

Anyways, look at the charts. The amount of sunlight makes no sense as an explanation.

[luvie]

My doctor prescribed large doses of vitamin D because it helps calcium to protect from osteoporosis. I didn’t know that, and I need to continue this. I have always taken it (maybe that’s why I don’t catch many colds) but evidentally not enough to help strong bones.

Good info, Starwise.

[Quix]

MUCH APPRECIATED

[STARWISE]

My pleasure. I AM a believer, big time.

[Quix]

There was a thread about the DANGERS of Vitamin D.

How does that jive with the other—how does one sort it all out?

[maine-iac7]

same for Alaska.

Don't forget Alaska has those 6 long months of sunshine - that may give people enough reserve to balance out the dark months.

I have written about this stuff for decades - after my bout with "precancerous" sun-poisoning on my face.

I had never had any incidence of breakouts until the 'sun blockers' first came out, back in the late 70's. I used them and then had the breakouts every summer - almost immediately after being in the sun any length of time. However, I made no association for some years until it dawned on me that when I forgot to use the sun screen, I didn't have a breakout. Or if I used the old baby oil, I didn't break out.

So I started testing. Every time I used any sun screen - breakout time.

Eventually, one spot reached the alarm stage and my doctor sent me to dermatologist who burned it off and gave me prescription doze one of the same sun screens I had been taking!

I told him about my experiment but he brushed it off. I applied the sun-screen and broke out by the next day. I tossed it and only use the baby oil (with a few drops of Iodine shaken in it) or natural oils like olive or almond, sometimes nothing at all. I even spent 3 weeks visiting kids in Florida last summer in JULY AND AUG! We spent beaucoup time at my favorite beach, Cocoa Beach and went up to St. Augustine and cavorted on Daytona Beach. Nada. I used ole timey coconut tanning oil without sun screen.

My personal, non-professional, theory is: What with my own experience and the increase of skin cancer rising on the charts right along with the introduction and increase in use of sun screens and all the admonitions to STAY OUT OF THE SUN = my theory is that there may be an adverse chemical reaction between all those unnameable chemicals in the sun screens and the sun.

Now that's just MY theory. I am not 'prescribing' anything and am not recommending anyone believe or follow my 'theory' We need fresh air, pure water and sunshine - it's nature's way.

In addition, I'm poor as a church mouse, so it would do no good to sue me....

Another thought to ponder. Osteoporosis had become the new "Disease D'jour" - brittle bones from loss of bone density. What builds strong bones? ahhh, you guessed. Vit. D.

[mamelukesabre]

What exactly is sun poisoning? I’ve been told I got it, but not by a doctor. I sometimes turn bright pink and swell up when exposed to the sun. ONe time my feet and ankles and calves actually swelled up and and turned black and blue from a sun burn. Probably should’ve seen a doc for that, but I was in mexico and blew it off.

[maine-iac7]

I'm solar powered and proud of it.

Amen.

I put signs, Burma Shave style, down my long driveway that say, progressively: "TOOT" "OR" "CON-SEE" "QUENCES".

Because I get my solar recharge all over, lying in my hammock.

Now that I am retired, except for some writing, I spend every minute I can in the sun during the warm months, storing up to get through the ME winters... looooonnng one this year!

[maine-iac7]

The doctor said to take her out and expose her entire little self to the sun for short periods of time as much as possible. It worked.

Years ago, the doctors knew the value of the sun.

My 3rd son, now in his late 40's, was born early - and at just 7 weeks old, contracted virus meningitis. He was one of the lucky ones, having a doctor that diagnosed in time for treatment to work.

When he came home from the hospital, he had a terrible rash over his entire diaper area - this was pre-disposables.

Same as your baby - bottoms up in the sun! did the trick.

[Bahbah]

bottoms up in the sun! did the trick.

:)

Great story and great outcome.

[maine-iac7]

Anyways, look at the charts. The amount of sunlight makes no sense as an explanation.

There's another variable that isn't on the chart.

Most people are trapped in sunless offices most of their waking hours and then busy catching up on chores and errands the rest of the time.

To be viable, there needs to be a chart on "How much total time does one spend in the sun?"

That said: statistics show that people who live in areas of high sunshine, like Arizona - wall to wall sunshine all year - live an ave of up to 10 years longer.

We are a creature of earth. God arranged it so's the things we most need for life are here to sustain us. Maybe He knew/knows what He is doing?

AND! Tah dah! Clocks ahead! An extra hour of sunshine this afternoon!

[maine-iac7]

large doses of vitamin D because it helps calcium to protect from osteoporosis

You should maybe also research taking magnesium with calcium for adequate absorption of the calcium -

Also, magnesium gives us a 'happy' boost...

and zinc is super good in prevention of colds as well as being great for teeth, bones, hair and nails...