Don't Seek the Sun: 10 Reasons to Get Vitamin D From Your Diet
by the American Academy of Dermatology
Our bodies need vitamin D to build and maintain strong bones. Without vitamin D, the body cannot use calcium and phosphorus — two minerals necessary for healthy bones. The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend getting vitamin D from sun exposure or indoor tanning. Both sources emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Getting vitamin D from your diet and practicing sun protection offer a healthier alternative. Still skeptical? Consider these scientific facts:
1. UV rays cause premature aging of the skin, actinic keratoses and skin cancer. There is so much scientific evidence to support this fact that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services classifies UV radiation as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). UV exposure also causes cataracts and suppresses the body’s immune system.
2. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Over half of all new cancers in the United States are skin cancers. Worldwide, half of the cancers diagnosed in people are skin cancers.
3. Many of the more than one million skin cancers diagnosed in the United States during 2005 could have been prevented with protection from the sun’s rays. Skin cancer is one of the cancers for which the cause is known — exposure to UV radiation.
4. The number of diagnosed cases of skin cancer continues to increase at an alarming rate. At current rates, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.
5. One person dies from melanoma, a type of skin cancer, almost every hour (approximately every 68 minutes) in the United States. Today, melanoma is the most prevalent form of cancer among women aged 25 to 29. It is expected that new cases of melanoma will increase by 10 percent in 2005. This raises an American’s lifetime risk of developing melanoma to 1 in 34.
6. Dietary sources of vitamin D do not prematurely age the skin nor increase the risk of developing skin cancer or actinic keratoses. Dietary sources are available year round. Good sources include fortified milk, fortified cereal, salmon, mackerel and cod liver oil. Research shows that vitamin D supplements are well-tolerated, safe and effective.
7. People can have normal vitamin D levels with limited sun exposure. A 1997 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that patients with xeroderma pigmentosa (a condition that causes multiple skin cancers in persons exposed to the smallest amounts of ultraviolet radiation), who have had maximum UV protection over several years, have normal vitamin D levels despite virtually no UV exposure.
8. Sunscreen use does not cause vitamin D deficiency. A research study conducted in Australia, which has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, found that sunscreen did not cause vitamin D deficiency in all 113 people who wore adequate sunscreen to prevent actinic keratoses. Research shows that sunscreen helps prevent premature aging, actinic keratoses and skin cancer. Sunscreen is one component of a comprehensive sun protection program and should be used year round.
9. Humans need calcium to benefit from vitamin D. Sun exposure does not provide calcium. However, fortified milk, other vitamin D fortified dairy products, and salmon are rich in both vitamin D and calcium. Many dietary supplements also contain both. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is essential to prevent osteoporosis.
10. Vitamin D from food and dietary supplements offers the same benefits — without the danger of UV exposure — as vitamin D obtained from the sun. Vitamin D cannot be used by the body until it is processed by the liver and the kidneys. The usable form of vitamin D created by this process is the same — regardless of how it enters the body.
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Last updated: 06/04/2005
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