by Paul Fassa
(The Best Years in Life) “Avoid the sun” is almost a mantra from dermatologists and heavily promoted by the billion dollar sunscreen industry. The cancer scare gives dermatologists more legitimacy as medicos and the sunscreen industry walks away with more money. Facts are that sunshine promotes physiological vitamin D, which helps prevent cancer and more, while sunscreens contain toxic carcinogens.
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Here’s what Dr. Dave Mihalovic, ND, has to say about this sun/cancer disinformation: “Those who have attempted to convince the world that the sun, the earth’s primary source of energy and life causes cancer, have done so with malicious intent to deceive the masses into retreating from the one thing that can help prevent disease.”
Sunshine, Vitamin D, and Health
Sun deniers tell you to avoid sunshine, the most effective and safest way to promote vitamin D in your body. There are two main ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun: UVA and UVB. While excess UVA can create sunburn and dry “alligator” skin, UVB rays are necessary for initiating the process of vitamin D creation in the skin’s cholesterol, that’s right, we need cholesterol too. By the way, glass filters out UVB rays while allowing UVA to come through.
Factually, neither UVA or UVB has been proven to create skin cancers, among which melanoma is the most feared and deadly. But there are several studies, around 800, which support that less than optimum vitamin D blood levels are conducive to bad health in general while optimum D blood levels can prevent and even help cure cancers in general.
Even mainstream medicine (MSM) is recognizing this. Only a few short years ago MSM considered 20 ng/ml (nanograms/milliliter) the standard for sufficient vitamin D levels. Now after many more vitamin D studies, even MSM has begun to realize the Vitamin D Council’s 50 to 80 ng/ml blood level is more appropriate.
You can take a vitamin D blood test, which must be the 25-hydroxyvitamin or D (25-OHD) test. Don’t settle for less. I got one a several months prior to this article and it came in at 70 ng/ml. The VA MD cautioned me to not overdo it, but the Vitamin D Council thinks between 50 and 80 is ideal, while 80 to 100 works temporarily for treating disease. Over 100 sustained is considered toxic.
But, and this is a major but, the biological mechanics of creating vitamin D from sunshine will shut down before hitting that toxic level. It’s automatic. Supplementing with the best type of vitamin D3 (not toxic pharmaceutical D2) in its fat based sheep’s lanolin gels can build up and get into that danger zone over time.
However, the RDA for vitamin D is so low it’s ridiculous. The RDA is 600 to 800 international units (IU). Unless you’re out exposing half of your body’s skin to strong sunshine several days a week, supplementing with 5,000 IU of D3 daily is considered okay by many experts. I’ve been supplementing with 5000 to 10,000 IU daily in lieu of getting ideal sun exposure on half or more of my exposed skin.
It’s a good idea to check your vitamin D blood levels annually, especially during a not-so-sunny season. Caveat: Many MSM practitioners aren’t hip to the latest standards. Ignore their “concerns” if you’re around 50 ng/ml/.
What does vitamin D help prevent? Here’s a short-form list: Multiple sclerosis; rickets in youngsters; tuberculosis, inflammatory bowel disease; diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, cancer, and a couple of others I don’t recognize and can’t pronounce.
Researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham recently reported that “lack of sun exposure may lead to cognitive decline over time.” Johanna Budwig, whose dietary methods healed many cancer patients, also urged sunshine exposure as part of the healing process. Used to be that TB patients in sanatoriums were placed under the sun daily.
By the way, studies have determined that indoor workers have higher rates of skin cancer than outdoor workers, including lifeguards! It’s also been determined that many melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancers, occur in areas not exposed to sunlight. Areas like the soles of feet, groin, and under fingernails were often affected.
Ever hear of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? It defines a depressed state during times of little or no sunshine. And vitamin D studies have associated low vitamin D levels to depression. Now you’re urged to avoid the sun while the sun is actually your ally for good physical and mental health while turning to medical “authority” for toxic pharmaceuticals.
Personal Experience