The Truth About "Vitamin Sunshine"

You can lower your risk of 17 types of cancer by 77%, just by taking a simple nutrient:

Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin.”

Even if you take vitamins, you’re probably not getting enough D. In fact, in one study I read, when over 1,200 people were randomly screened, more than 87% had a vitamin D deficiency.₁

My patients do their best to get in the sun and take supplements. But when they come to my clinic, their levels of vitamin D are still too low.

There are things that lower – even deplete – your vitamin D levels. And the 400 units of vitamin D our government recommends are simply not enough to do the job right. Once it gets into your bloodstream, it’s spread too thin to give your cells what they need.

Vitamin D is used by every cell in your body. It keeps cells healthy and functioning at their best, and it’s critical for your immune system. If you don’t have enough, some cells may end up damaged and diseased. To prevent cancer, your levels of vitamin D must be much higher.

Go without vitamin D long enough, and it can be the last mistake you make. One study followed 13,000 people for more than 12 years. They found out that too little vitamin D was an independent risk factor for death.₂

Nature’s Healthy Option

Our ancestors lived naked in the sun for millions of years.

But over time, we started to migrate north where there was less sun. We put on clothes, built houses, drove cars, and got jobs. We spent more time indoors… and when we did go out, we wore sunscreen.

All of these lifestyle changes reduced the levels of vitamin D in our bodies.

Suddenly, diseases of civilization began to occur. The same diseases prevented by vitamin D. We were forced to shift our focus from fighting wild animals to fighting a health disaster created by our man-made environment.

The “minimum daily requirement” of vitamin D is based on preventing a childhood disease called rickets. So you’d think our youth would be protected. Yet when 380 infants and 6,000 children were tested:_3,4

• 12% of infants were deficient.
• 40% of infants had less than optimal levels – and one-third already showed signs of bone loss!
• 9% of children, or 7.6 million were deficient.
• 61% of children, or 50.8 million, had less than optimal levels.

Adults also believe they only need the minimum requirement. But if you raise the level of vitamin D, you can prevent cancers, fractures, type 1 diabetes, and many autoimmune disorders:_5,6,7,8

Let’s look at cancer for a moment. In a separate study, a group of healthy women took either a placebo, calcium alone, or vitamin D with calcium. In four year’s time, most of the placebo group developed cancer. But 77% of the women who took vitamin D with calcium were cancer free.₉

You can choose to be sick or healthy simply by increasing your vitamin D.

The Damage Starts Here

Even if you have the best intentions, there are a dozen obstacles to getting enough vitamin D:

Consider this:10 • Cloud cover reduces vitamin D exposure by 50%. • Pollution can reduce vitamin D exposure by 60%. • Glass doesn’t allow vitamin D to penetrate. • Sunscreen doesn’t allow vitamin D to penetrate.

1. We wear clothing.
2. We wear sunscreen.
3. We don’t migrate with the sun.
4. We don’t live near the equator.
5. We work inside during the day.
6. We drive cars that block the sun.
7. We may have excess body fat that doesn’t absorb as well.
8. We may be older in years with less ability to absorb as well.
9. We may have dark skin pigmentation that doesn’t absorb as well.
10. We develop food allergies and intolerances that prevent absorption.
11. We adhere to diets such as strict vegetarianism that prevent absorption.
12. We take certain drugs, antibiotics, or corticosteroids that prevent absorption.

The next time you go in for a physical, ask your doctor to check your level of vitamin D. It’s a simple, inexpensive test that provides valuable information.

Boost D to Beat Disease

I recommend you aim for a minimum of 2,000 I.U. of vitamin D a day. If you get your level tested and it’s low, take between 5,000 and 10,000 I.U. a day from a variety of sources.

Try and go outside and expose your body to sunlight every day. As little as 10 minutes in the midday sun produces 10,000 units of vitamin D. You feel instantly better.

Add sources of vitamin D to your diet. Below is a list of foods that contain vitamin D. Or take a daily supplement. Cod liver oil is one of the best natural sources. Plus, it offers a bonus. It contains vitamin A, plenty of omega-3s, and is convenient to take.

1. Ray MM, Long AN, et al. “Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in an Urban General Internal Medicine Academic Practice,” 2009 Southern Regional Meeting Abstracts Session: SSGIM Research Abstract Session C.
2. Melamed ML, Michos ED, Post W, Astor B “25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of mortality in the general population.” Arch Intern Med. 2008 Aug 11;168(15):1629-37.
3. Gordon, CM, et al. “Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Healthy Infants and Toddlers.” Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(6):505-512.
4. Kumar, J, et al. “Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES 2001–2004.” Pediatrics 2009.
5. Lappe JM, et al. “Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:1586-91.
6. Garland CF, et al. “Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis.” J Steroid. Biochem Mol Biol. 2007;103;708-11.
7. Hypponen E, et al. “Intake of Vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth-cohort study.” Lancet 2001;358:1500-3.
8. Bischolff-Ferrari HA, et al. “Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” JAMA. 2005;293:2257-64.
9. Lappe JM., et al. “Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91.
10. “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D” http://www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed Jan 2010.