Source: Alliance for Natural Health

The vitamin D paradox

Here we have yet another study demonstrates the benefits of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D.

Read the findings of the study here.

The international media has been full of reports on this, a few are linked to below:

Lower vitamin D, higher risk of death — USA Today

Lack of vitamin D linked to higher death risk: study — Yahoo Australia

Low vitamin D shown to raise death risk: US study — Reuters / National Post

D stands for 'death-defying' in the vitamin stakes — Daily Mail, UK

But many people are confused. Herein lies the paradox: on one hand we've heard that spending time in the sun will increase our risk of skin cancer, while, on the other hand, we are hearing more and more reports that vitamin D, which is produced by the body following exposure to sunlight, will reduce our risk of cancer and heart disease.

Alliance for Natural Health tips about vitamin D 

Summer sunshine delight

In our view, many health authorities have got people far too frightened about the sun. There are generations of kids growing up in parts of the US, Australia and other climes where the sun shines more than it doesn't who are sun averse. They either cover themselves with total block 30-50 SPF sunscreen, which itself may pose a risk to health, or even skin cancer, or they hide away indoors playing computer games or watching television to escape the sun's supposedly dangerous rays. 

The main risk from solar radiation is allowing the skin to burn. Sunburn is not good for anyone and repeated episodes of sunburn, particularly in those with more sensitive and lighter skins colours, the greater the risk. So guess what? Get as much sun as you can, over as much of your body as you can—but don't get burned! Reduce your exposure accordingly. Moisturise your skin with healthy natural oils and aloe vera. Try and avoid nasty chemical mixtures, simply because their effects are either largely unknown  or there is some emerging evidence of risk (but not enough to see them banned as yet!) If you need to use some type of sun protection cream, there are a few companies out there offering natural alternatives. At ANH, we don't do a lot of advertising, but put the following words 'organic natural sun protection cream' into Google and you should find a supplier of a good product in your country or region. 

Dr Reinhold Veith from Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada, one of the foremost experts on vitamin D, has shown that a fair-skinned person can produce 10,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D in around 15 minutes when exposing around 80% of the body on a sunny, summer's day. Do this three times a week during the summer and you'll be producing optimum amounts of the remarkable, life-saving vitamin.

What to do during winter...

This is where supplements are necessary. 

The leading lights in vitamin D research, as well as leading medical doctors in this field, such as our own Medical Director, Dr Damien Downing, all say we should be taking at least 1,000 IU (25 mcg) of vitamin D3 daily, although the optimum amount is closer to 4000 IU (100 mcg).

There are high dose, vitamin D3 liquid emulsion products available on the market that make this particularly easy. One drop in the mouth contains between 1000 and 2000 IU, so one or two drops a day is all you need. There are also some high dose capsules available for those who prefer.

It beggars belief that, on the basis of flawed risk assessment, based on the synthetically manufactured, more toxic form of vitamin D, vitamin D2, regulators in Europe, and internationally through Codex, are attempting to restrict our intakes to just 200 IU (5 mcg).

The only way to change this ridiculous situation is to change the way in which risk assessment is performed. It's a classic example of bad science being used to meet a political end that seems to benefit the business with disease, not the business with health or wellness.

Please do your part to help the ANH in its key work in this area—help us to help you!

Please check out our Codex campaign, our Risk Assessment campaign and our Freedom of Health Choice campaign. Please also make a donation to help us with our work—a shortage of funds is our single biggest constraint to being more effective. Thank you.   

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