The TanWall Blog

A new study on vitamin D just came out Tuesday. The study, undertaken by an expert committee (The Institute of Medicine) commissioned by the government, seeked to clarify the issues behind the vitamin D question, namely those of deficiency and supplements.  

So far, the findings of the comittee have been highly controversial and even interpreted differently by different parties. Check out the New York Times article on the subject, and the comments as well. A Google search on the Institute of Medicine’s vitamin D study will reveal even more varying interpretations and opinions.

Basically, the committee concluded that evidence of vitamin D deficiency was inconclusive, that vitamin D health benefits apart from bone health were unclear, and that vitamin D supplements, though useful in some cases, could be more harmful than helpful in high doses. The general consensus is that we get enough vitamin D  from daily accidental sun exposure and diet. Deliberately exposing oneself to more sunlight, or taking supplemental vitamin D in excess is not recommended.

Some parties praise the study for its balanced set of recommendations. Others condemn it for being too cautious and failing to address the very real problem of vitamin D deficiency across the globe.

Well, who can we believe?

There are many factors to consider when evaluating a study like this. First of all, the study doesn’t seem to take into account various locations on the globe that get less sunlight. There is also no mention of people with darker skin, who need more sun exposure to get the same amount of vitamin D as people with lighter skin. Also, the study posits a lower requirement for average vitamin D levels: 20-30 nanograms, as opposed to higher recommended levels around 40-50. Also, the committee found that only 600 IU of vitamin D was needed daily for most people, while recommended dosages have risen to 1,000 – 2,000 IUs.

The committee didn’t find enough evidence of causality for vitamin D and health benefits, or vitamin D deficiency, but that doesn’t mean these things don’t exist. The members of this comittee were just probably being cautious to avoid encourage people to take excessive amounts of vitamin D supplements that could be damaging, though this is debated as well.

It is important to remember that these scientific studies often contradict themselves as time goes on. Science is a perpetual process of rooting out error and inaccuracy. Is this study accurate? Or are its opponents’ findings more accurate? Still hard to say. We will definitely be following this ongoing inquiry.

In the end, the best rule of thumb for these matters is moderation. We still know that sunshine is the most natural and plentiful source of vitamin D in nature, and that the body naturally regulates vitamin D intake when acquired from the sun. Eat a well balanced diet, and if your doctor thinks you are vitamin D deficient, maybe you should take some supplements, but only as much as needed. Get sunshine when you can, but be reasonable about how much you get, and don’t burn! If your region doesn’t get enough sun or if you work indoors all day and need to tan indoors for the vitamin D, do so responsibly, as tanning salons have always advocated.

Practice moderation and good sense and you’ll surely live a long, prosperous life.

Rickets, a childhood disease that was predominant in the 17th century, is coming back in certain parts of the world, one of them southern England, as illustrated in this article.

Rickets occurs because of vitamin D deficiency and the lack of calcium being absorbed in the stomach (a process that requires vitamin D), which leads to underdeveloped, soft bones.  These soft bones lead to bodily deformities such as bowed legs, a curved back, and a square-like head shape. They are also to prone to fractures.

Rickets is called a childhood disease because the symptoms appear in the development of children. Deficiencies early on can lead to complications in adult life, such as the aforementioned bodily deformities.

We thought we had previously wiped out rickets, at least in the developed world, but it seems to be coming back where it shouldn’t be. Vitamin D deficiency is the culprit, we have talked a bit about the threat of rickets before in talking about low vitamin D levels.

Poor diet and most of all, lack of sunshine have been implicated in the resurgence of the disease.

What doctors believe in England is that the youth are not only on a bad diet, but that they are spending too much time indoors playing video games and watching TV and not getting enough sunlight. This would figure with what many believe as an emerging vitamin D deficiency epidemic.

As we have talked about before, many see this epidemic as a result of the excessive sunscare tactics put forth by sunscreen and dermatological groups. Covering up and applying tons of sunscreen has deprived a large group of people of much-needed vitamin D, due to lack of sunshine. This results in all sorts of implicated health problems, such as certain types of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and rickets in children.

 Junk food diets surely don’t help either. vitamin D can be found in such foods as fortified milk, oily fishes (salmon for example), eggs, and butter.

However, diet is argued by many as not a sufficient source. So remember, get out in the sun every once in a while, or hop in a tanning bed!

The sun scare message (so we are all on the right page) is the anti-sun message advocated by certain dermatological and skin care groups. This message characterizes sun rays as highly dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. It describes UV rays as highly carcinogenic and damaging to the skin, putting you at risk for skin cancer and premature aging whenever you come into contact with them.  

These groups will advocate wearing long sleeves, pants, and a hat whenever you go out in the sun, and to lather on sunscreen during the course of the day.

Now, it is true that UV rays in excessive amounts are certainly carcinogenic, just like many other substances and energy sources found on this earth. However, to blow these risks out of proportion and tag UV rays as dangerous in all amounts, and to go against the idea that we are a species that has been living prosperously under the sun for thousands and thousands of years seems to be a bit excessive.

More and more researchers are finding that this excessive scare message is actually showing itself to be more damaging than we previously thought.  

Overzealous avoidance of the sun has led to a new epidemic in our country: Vitamin D deficiency. We have talked about Vitamin D before. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to 16 different types of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, athloclyrosis, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, depression, and more.

There is one story where a teacher couldn’t get out of bed because she was paralyzed by body aches and depression. It was eventually found that she had a severe Vitamin D deficiency.

Another story is about a couple who were accused of abusing their child, as the child was found to have broken bones, but it was later found that the child had infantile rickets and was Vitamin D deficient.

Stories like these are emerging all over the country. What we are finding is that people are simply not getting enough sun. Vitamin D can be found in certain foods (especially fish) and supplements, but the main source of Vitamin D is sunshine.

The sun scare message has been implicated in this excessive avoidance of the sun, as well as our sedentary lifestyles and the majority of our time spent indoors.

Sunscreen prevents excessive UV damage and sunburn, but it also blocks UV absorption, depriving us of Vitamin D. All in all, we need some unprotected sunlight here and there, and could use a little indoor tanning to keep our Vitamin D levels up during the winter months.

We need to get our Vitamin D levels back to normal. Healthy Vitamin D levels translates to good health overall, so get out there and get your sun!

There is quite a buzz going on in the scientific and medical communities concerning the benefits of Vitamin D. Researchers are finding that Vitamin D can help prevent many diseases and ailments and that there is an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency going on right now in the US, possibly leading to increased risk of disease and illness.

More and more studies done by scientific, nutritional, and medical organizations across the globe are indicating the high importance of Vitamin D. These organizations cite positive facts and negative facts to support their findings.

Positive Facts

Various studies have shown that the presence of sufficient levels of Vitamin D can lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone deficiencies, and certain cancers.

Vitamin D serves as an activator of autoimmune T-cells that neutralize foreign antibodies in the bloodstream. Basically, having sufficient Vitamin D levels will boost your immune system and make you more resilient to the flu and colds.

Vitamin D can also help with weight loss and mood regulation, among other things.

Negative Facts

Studies have found that there is an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency in the US, accounting for a higher frequency of certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases in the general population.

Immune systems are believed to be affected by this deficiency as well, so that more people are more prone to colds.

Possible causes of the nation’s Vitamin D deficiency could be due to more time spent indoors, since a large portion of our Vitamin D comes from sunshine. Also, sun-scare sentiment which leads to practives such as wearing long sleeves, putting on sunscreen, and altogether staying out of the sun can be seen to be responsible for our lack of Vitamin D.

I have the facts, so how do I get my Vitamin D?

The best way to get Vitamin D is through sunshine. Specialists recommend getting 10-15 minutes a day of unblocked sunshine. This is more than enough to exceed the new proposed 1000 IUs a day of Vitamin D. You can also get Vitamin D from a tanning bed.

Vitamin D can be found in certain foods such as fish and milk.

During periods of time when we can’t get enough sunshine, or during the wintertime, it might also be prudent to take Vitamin D supplements

So now you know the facts. Vitamin D is quickly becoming an important factor in daily nutrition. Don’t let the medical/dermatological interests scare you into staying out of the sun. Get some sun every day but be sure not to overdo it. Your body will thank you with good health.