Vitamin D in Your Skin

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

jallison — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:41:21 GMT

Dr. Mercola, We appreciate your shared research. And now specifically on Vitamin D.

My husband has advanced (40+years) of MS. We KNOW he needs LOTS of Vitamin D.

And we do that with D3 capsules. However, we live in eastern Canada and the outdoor

sunshine is limited even in summer. I like the safe lamp idea but in no way could we afford

a Sun-bed at $ 1,000 plus. Is there not a safe lamp that we could buy and use with John?

One that would be much cheaper? Pat Allison

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

PlumeSauvage — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:30:44 GMT

Dr.Mercola informs us on food we can eat to prevent but there is some more: RAW CACAO

Yes raw cacao is the highest value you can find, 10 to 40 times wath other things have. Also, cacao does not contain cafein the real reseach on cafein contained in cacao is zero and when found is very very minim. I talk here about RAW cacao, raw cacao Beans as it grows in nature or derived cacao products like raw organic chocolate bar.

As Mercola said we need to eat mor of this food:

Foods containing effective antioxidants to boost your “internal sunscreen” include whole fresh vegetables and fruits such as:

Goji berries (not the juice)

Raspberries

Blackberries

Blueberries

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

CarolG — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:05:47 GMT

There are two very good articles on Vitamin D. The best is in The New England Journal of Medicine, July 19, 2007 Volume 357:266-281 by Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D. "Vitamin D Deficinecy". After I gave her this article, my oncologist is going to start checking all patients Vitamin D levels .

Another very good article and easier to get ahold of is in the November 2007 issue of Scientific American.

After having breast cancer as a resident of Illinois, "I had my Vitamin D levels checked at the urging of my son who is a doctor - my level was 13 !!!! Very low.

Please notice that it is mentioned that prostate cancer is being treated with Vitamin D!!!

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

dressagefreak — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:15:05 GMT

I would love to get my vitamin D levels tested but I no longer have health insurance and I would imagine the cost of the blood test is astronomical.. :-(

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

podman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:58:15 GMT

Is it my imagination, or do some comments mysteriously disappear shortly after they are posted - I'll bet I can get this comment to vanish by simply mentioning any research that is at odds with the article/comment being discussed - watch this: Dr. Trevor Marshall and many other vitamin D researchers have found that supplementation can block the vitamin D receptors (VDRs) that are part of our autoimmune system, and therefore, supplementation with vitamin D can slow down our immune response to the extent that we feel better for a while (less bacterial kill-off), in the fine tradition of most steroids (yes, vitamin D is closest to a corticosteroid) - these conflicting data are never mentioned when we are all encouraged to increase our levels of 25-hydroxy-D - it would be reassuring to me to at least see the wide spectra of research and opinions on the subject, and to especially not be censored for mentioning these theories from scientists who aren't proponents of high vitamin D levels from supplements - the sun is still, in my humble opinion, the pragmatic winner as a way to make vitamin D.

(bet this comment 'disappears' in a few hours - now, is that free speech and the sharing of information?)

And one more thing, since I'm doomed to the censor's knife, anyway - whatever happened to open-minded consideration of different takes on the same issue? If we are to investigate medical science with a balanced, inclusive eye, we should be proud of our ability to absorb and consider what's out there, and then we would have a level playing field upon which to decide how we feel about the different theories put forward - on Joe and Terry Graedon's 'People's Pharmacy' on NPR radio, two doctors blithely recommended from 5000 to 10,000 international units of vitamin D per day (to get your test results up between 30 an 80 on the 25-hydroxy test) - A recent study at Duke University tracked many elderly and monitored their vitamin D levels; hight levels caused increase/brain lesions.

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

katybo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:12:44 GMT

As a child I stayed out in the sun quite a bit, and frequently burned. But I never had any problems with my skin until I started using sunscreen. Since then I have had many prcancerous lesion frozen off on a regular basis. Now that I know - I have stopped using sunscreen, but now for the first am hearing that I shouldn't wear sunglasses!?! Who knew

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

aussieman — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:03:53 GMT

I gave up wearing sunglasses two years ago and guess what , I do not suffer from the glare anymore ( it took a few months to adjust) , I also noticed when my wife suffered depression she would even wear sunglasses inside! could there be a conection here? I also take Spirulina and do not get sunburn anymore even at moderate exposure at 40°C here in Australia. I used to harp - on to my kids about avoiding the sun , now that I don't they are a lot happier. I am concerned that moves are a foot here to make wearing of sunglasses mandatory at school!

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

Gary J Collins — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:03:04 GMT

For nearly 50 years I have been a nudist. I have known thousands of people who are and have only ever known of one case of a skin cancer in that society. Unfortunately in that case it was a melanoma and was fatal. Surprisingly even with all the promotions of sunscreens most of the nudists I know never use them. Yes they get a tan and occasionally get burnt myself included.

When I was in the Army many years ago we were told we had a duty to get a base suntan but if we got sun burn would be charged. This was about the time of the Australian slip slop slap campaign.

Now I try to get at least 10 minutes each day of deliberate sun weather permitting. By the way I am a Caucasian and can burn fairly easily. I use my skin as a guide when I feel hot I move into the shade and when cooled off I move back into the sun.

I have not a cold or flu for about 15 years and never had the flu shot. In fact I refuse to have them even though I am now in the target age group.

Here in the Philippines I am considered to be a nut as I do go out in the sun. My wife thinks I am crazy but I keep trying to convince her to join me so far without success. But then most of the advertising here is aimed at whiten the skin with most of the toiletries claiming to produce a noticeable whiteness within seven days. To my way of thinking a “lily white” complexion looks unhealthy.

I have heard that in Australia they have recognized a problem with vitamin D deficiency and the prescribed treatment is Ultra-violet ray treatment on a tanning bed.

Just the other night they had a news item warning that most Australian are not heeding the warning of going out into the sun and following the slip slop slap regime. Once again they produced some victim of a melanoma with the ubiquitous surgical scaring. This time on the under side of an arm. Right up near the armpit.

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

oliverice — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:28:31 GMT

Sunlight really is the best way to get Vitamin D. Vitamin supplements and foods containing Vitamin D are not how nature intend us to get our "fix". The Vitamin D we receive from "other than sun sources" only lasts in our bodies for a short period of time before it is excreted. The Vitamin D we receive from sun or UV exposure is stored in our fat cells and released much more gradually. UV exposure may only be necessary 2-3 times per week while supplements are necessary almost daily increasing the risk for toxicity.

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

Dee D. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:46:33 GMT

"Vitamin D" is in fact not a vitamin, but a hormone. Please go to www.marshallprotocol.com to read new research on the impact of adding a hormone to the human diet in an unregulated way given new knowledge that has been discovered on how bacteria convert this hormone to the active form which ultimately leads to immune disregulation resulting in a wide variety of inflammatory health problems. Sun exposure and the formation of “Vitamin D” in the skin is not controlled by the kidneys in individuals affected by inflammatory health conditions. These are individuals who need to have their 1, 25-D levels as well as their 25-D levels measured when their physician recommends a “Vitamin D” level be checked. Knowledge is key to one's health! Here's to your improved health!

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

moo_203 — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:16:37 GMT

thank you collinsc for that very informative video!

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

ericaevans — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:05:11 GMT

Can you tell me if you have had any success with sunlight and reversing vitilago? A close friend of mine has been working for many years on a "cure" with diet, nutrition, supplements and of course - drastic sunlight exposure. (which actually helped bring back about 70 percent of the pigmentation that was lost). The 30 percent remaining as large white spots (particularly in the areas of the body where there is very little body fat) are still very white and not responding to a variety of radical treatments. Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks.

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

Charly ali — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:31:11 GMT

Everyone, enjoyed all your postings, especially the Wildhorse video. I found out I was Vit D deficient in November of 2006, after years of trying to figure out why I'm so tired and depressed in the winter, even somewhat the rest of the year. Finally, a naturopathic Doctor tested me for this and my vit D level was 19 ng/ml. Only God knows how long it's been that way, let's just say I'm over 50, and I have had stiff, sore muscles as far back as my teens. I have been a follower of health information since the age of 23, continuosly improving my diet and taking anti-oxidants, but not vit D because I was fearful of fat soluble vitamins, and I thought with food being fortified with it, I was okay... Well, I'm taking 2000 IU's aday and am feeling gradually better. I was wondering, though, if anyone is still worried about the thinning ozone, as it relates to the strength of the suns rays on our skin

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

Kim H. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:43:57 GMT

If you where sunscreen for longer exposures in the sun, is any vitamin D absorbed at all?

re: Vitamin D in Your Skin

Elton — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:29:48 GMT

Hmm. Interesting. I wonder if 40% nudity is acceptable among Puritans and Prudes.