Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

jamesbit — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:38:01 GMT

I have been following Dr.Mercolas advice on vitamin D by supplementing in the winter with D3 and not using sunscreen in the summer. Now I find out I have been doing it all wrong all summer by showering after my outdoor activities. Am I the only one dissapointed that I have wasted my time and maybe my health by these new developments.? An "oops" seem inadequate somehow.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

A11is0n — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:59 GMT

Please Dr Mecola reply to the questions about your references for not washing sunned areas with soap. It has started to irritate me that you reply to other questions people pose about vit D etc but have not replied to those asking how you have come to the conclusion that soap will wash off the vit D before your body has had the chance to actually convert it. I have been an avid reader of your site for many years and mostly take what you say at face value but I am needing more references these days to convince the medics i work with that this is real science! I have read through the entire postings to find your answer but i don't think it is here anywhere. Thanks.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

sarananda — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:36:34 GMT

After reading this article and the comments I decided to stop showering with soap and see what happened. Traditionally I have fairly strong body odor -not knock you down strong, but noticeable without deodorant. Since I stopped using soap it has almost completely disappeared. Every day ask my partner to smell my pits and there hasn't been any issue. I am amazed. Even after a long hike on a warm day! I am a massage therapist and am very aware of how I might smell due to the intimate setting of my work so I make a point of really paying attention to my smell. In fact on days when I shower and and scrub my armpits with a plain washcloth I smell worse than the days when I don't shower at all. I'm sure it helps that my diet is clean and I wear natural fibers, but really it seems clear that we've all been sold a bill of goods with contemporary hygiene protocols.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

EllenS — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:13:07 GMT

I emailed Dr Mercola asking whether Vit D3 is produced only where sunlight hits the skin, and had a reply that yes, that is true. I then asked why would he recommend not washing unexposed skin and have never received a reply. It is not possible not to wash one's hands, not possible and not desirable because of spreading diseases. He also did not mention that exposing a huge amount of skin to the sun in order to get a tan is not healthy. When I garden, which is most days, I wear long sleeves, long pants, a hat, gloves, socks. And sunscreen. And I get plenty dirty and sweaty anyway! Bathing is a pleasant experience after such a day. Daily washing is also a religious requirement of some people, for example Hindus. A person who has not bathed is considered ritually as well as physically unclean. There are many reasons to wash!

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

cosmosveda — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:55:21 GMT

I am pleasantly surprised to find so many people don't use soap. I stopped using soap and shampoo for showering about 20 years ago. Happy to report -no smells, no problems.

I still wash my hands with soap after the toilet and sometimes with soap before cooking (for the benefit of those eating my food). For my hair, before showering I rub my scalp with black sesame oil, try to leave it on for about 15mins, wash it off in the shower, and before finishing, squeeze fresh lemon juice into my hair, and then rub the lemon through it. No dandruff, and I regularly get comments on how healthy my hair looks. I also don't always shower daily. Here in Australia I am lucky to have a very health fast running river within walking distance from my house, and if I wasn't so lazy I'd get myself down there now and then and just dip myself in it. As for sun bathing for Vit D, someone suggested getting out into the sun during the middle of the day which I don't think is a good idea as the sun's rays are direct - best to be more gentle on yourself and sun-bathe morning up til about 10am and late afternoon from about 3pm when the rays are at an angle.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

ladybear — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:54:01 GMT

Something that no one else seems to have noticed, is that this business of bathing once or twice a day, with lots of perfumed soaps, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and conditioners became the thing to do since the 1950's, with the mushrooming growth of pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies, and the related massive advertising campaigns to sell their products. We grew up with a bath twice a week, and as we were on a well and power to heat water was expensive, we often had to share bath water; the littlest went first. We would finish off with a clean water rinse. Ivory soap was the only thing used on the body, and Suave shampoo, and a baking soda based powder to sprinkle on sweaty parts after.

The women's magazines in our culture, for whom the cosmetic and soap companies provide a large percentage of income, convinced us all that natural body scents were terrible, and offensive, only by being washed, oiled, perfumed by fancy packaged products, once or twice a day, could be be socially acceptable. It became the thing to do.

Many Europeans use bidets to control body cleanliness in 'those parts', rather than constant showers. Water there, as elsewhere in the world is precious, and only in North America is it so plentiful and cheap that one can afford to waste so much in bathing.

I am in my mid 60s, not going out to work in an office any more, so now shower every 3 days or so, and wash my face with cool clean water terry wash cloth, use hand made goats milk soap only once a week. People are amazed when they find out how old I am, my skin is, for the first time in my life, soft, free of pimples, wrinkles are few, and no, I don't smell, I assure you that my husband, and my mom, a clean freak if ever there was one, would make a point of informing me if I did.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

jstreet — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:42:15 GMT

There are so many comments that this one will probably get buried and unnoiticed but I think it is important:

Since UVB radiation produces vitamin D in the skin and UVA radiation has the opposite effect, it's logical to use a tanning light that only makes UVB rays and/or to wear a sunscreen that blocks out only UVA length waves.

If they don't already exist, why not?

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

helenak777 — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:57:50 GMT

I'm wondering if having a long (1 hour) soak in the bath with added epsom salts in the water BEFORE going into the sun washes away the precursor to D3 so there is none left to be converted into D3. Do baths with no soap but added salts affect D3 production and if you had a bath (no soap) after sun exposure will that wash away the D3?

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

phillips153 — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:31:57 GMT

I think Dr. Mercola may not have thought this out all the way. Not take a bath for two days to absorb Vitamin D??? This would seem to assume that this is a one shot deal. Get some sun, wait two days, take a bath, voila all done. Rather, sun exposure should be a little EVERY day. That way even if you take baths, you are constantly getting sunlignt and making Vitamin D to absorb. Even if you wash off yesterdays Vitamin D, you still get to absorb todays. It might be best not to take the bath immediately after the sun exposure, though. I take my showers in the morning, get sun at mid-day and have the next twenty hours for absorbtion. I doubt the daily shower is really a problem.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

rosebudLH — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:51:21 GMT

I have a question.

Would using a washcloth without soap be okay to preserve the vit. D on my body? That's how I usually wash my face --a wet washcloth with a drop or two of rosemary oil. It makes my face clean and improves skin texture.

Would this be a good way to cleanse my body without stripping away the Vit. D? A washcloth and water, or a washcloth, water and a little essential oil like lavender or rosemary?

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

vivien_3 — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:08:38 GMT

Apart from coconut oil, what would you suggest to moisturise the skin and to aid Vit D absorption? I used to have quite oily skin, but now (in my 60's) find it's rather dry. I've heard too that older people don't absorb Vit D as well anyway.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

Happy4us — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:56:33 GMT

I am puzzled by the mechanics of UV radiation and sunburn/tanning.

This article states that indoors you are being exposed to UVA and that UVA also causes you to tan.

"...when you’re exposed to sunlight through windows -- in your office, your home or your car -- you get the UVA but virtually none of the beneficial UVB.

UVA is one of the primary culprits behind skin cancer, and it increases photo aging of your skin. It’s also what causes you to tan."

Could someone explain how come you don't get sunburned or tanned indoors?

Also, apparently all types of UV can cause skin damage... en.wikipedia.org/.../Ultraviolet

In my opnion the explanation is quite plausible that absence of UVA filters and on the other hand the presence in sunscreens of UVB filters, responsible for blocking the vitamin D production, cause a higher melanoma-risk.

And as far the production of vitamin D is concerned, Wikipedia states it has been established that Vitamind D3 is formed and found in the inner layer of the skin.

en.wikipedia.org/.../Vitamin_D

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

lindaniwot — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:49:04 GMT

I stopped using anti-persperants probably at least 15 years ago when I was purging aluminum from my diet/environment. I started using baking soda, a little bit dabbed under my arms with a cotton pad, and it works great, and it's CHEAP. Somewhere along the line I started getting a rash, and I learned of the process that is used to create the standard over-the counter baking soda.... so I bought Bob's Red Mill baking soda and have never looked back.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

pgarrone — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:31:29 GMT

Where is the scientific evidence that soap washes away vit. D3??

The Vit. D council says nothing about this.

re: Shocking Update -- Sunshine Can Actually Decrease Your Vitamin D Levels

johndude — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:29:52 GMT

What about the recent researched version of vitamin D3 ? A recent study in Japan by Chugai Pharmaceutical Company developed the active vitamin D3 derivative Eldecalcitol (active vitamin D3 derivative synthesized). The article goes on to say: "It is an agent with superior effect on bone compared to the existing active vitamin D3 agent widely used in Japan. This phase III clinical trial, begun in 2004, was a randomized, double-blind, comparative study to compare the efficacy and safety of eldecalcitol with that of alfacalcidol* in osteoporosis patients. A total of 1,087 patients were randomly allocated to receive a once-daily oral dose of either eldecalcitol or alfacalcidol, and the incidence of new vertebral fractures in both groups was monitored for a period of three years. As a result, patients receiving eldecalcitol showed a significantly lower incidence of bone fractures compared to those receiving alfacalcidol, indicating that eldecalcitol is superior in preventing fractures. The safety profile was similar to that of alfacalcidol, and nothing irregular was observed." Apparently Regulatory filing for eldecalcitol is planned for 2009 after the results of the trial have been collated. Google eldecalcitol to see the actual studies.

I have also been reading that you can get the active form of Vitamin D-3 (as 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol) in some supplements.