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pam · 08-30-2004, 11:15 AM

An Unpleasant
Blast from the Past

Rickets, a disorder characterized by bowlegs and stunted growth, is an entirely preventable disease that most of us connect with the hard life of bygone days. But the disease is making a troubling comeback.
North American health organizations report a number of alarming cases of rickets in both the United States and Canada.

The cause? Vitamin D deficiency — and children aren’t the only ones at risk.

“Vitamin D is important not only for bone health, but also for a number of other conditions and diseases including muscle well being and prevention of 16 types of internal cancer, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes among infants,” says Dr. William Grant, of Norfolk News, Virginia, a prominent medical researcher in the fields of nutrition and ultraviolet radiation and the director of Sunlight Nutrition and Health Research Center (www.sunarc.org).

Vitamin D is also useful in the treatment of muscle pain, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Excess amounts can be problematic, however, causing bleeding, kidney stones and weakened bones and muscles.

The importance of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous, is evident in the way that skin pigmentation adapts over periods of millennia to local UV conditions, says Dr. Grant, so that it’s “… light enough for production of vitamin D yet dark enough for reduced risk from free radicals from penetration of UV radiation.”

Dr. Grant, along with many leading vitamin D researchers, is concerned that by successfully demonizing sunlight, the most important source of vitamin D, we run the risk of widespread and potentially devastating health problems.

“There is an epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency in the United States and Canada. As is readily apparent from the Atlas of Cancer Mortality, mortality rates for breast, colon, ovarian and rectal cancers are about twice as high in the northeastern states as they are in the southwestern states. I’ve shown that this is directly related to July UVB doses as well as differences in degree of urbanization,” says Dr. Grant.

For most people, solar UVB radiation provides the majority of vitamin D. It’s also available in some foods, including cheese, butter and margarine, cream, fortified milk, fish, oysters and fortified cereals.

“Food does not generally contain enough vitamin D to do much good. (Researcher) Cedric Garland and I recently reviewed the literature on vitamin D and colorectal cancer. Dietary sources were almost always found to be inadequate to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in a statistically significant manner…” says Dr. Grant.

The views of vitamin D researchers such as Dr. Grant fly in the face of warnings by dermatologists who caution against any unprotected sun exposure.

“The dermatologists are like highway patrolmen who, seeing that many people die from accidents due to speeding, urge everyone to drive slowly and not during peak commute hours,” he says.

Sunshine State:

Elderly people, breast-fed babies and African-Americans are especially vulnerable to vitamin D deficiencies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get 200 IU/day beginning at 2 months — a dosage that should carry into adolescence. Dr. Grant suggests the following ways to make sure you get adequate daily amounts of vitamin D:
Go into sunlight and soak up the beneficial rays.
Consider taking supplements or using artificial UV lamps, especially in winter or if lifestyle prevents adequate UVB exposure.
If you take more than 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D or combine UVB exposure with more than 600 IU/day, have a blood test to make sure proper D levels are maintained. “Excess D can lead to problems such as reduced calcium in bones and increased risk of prostate cancer,” says Dr. Grant.
“Dermatologists have made those living in the United States, Canada and Australia afraid of their shadows. Sunscreen blocks UVB and some UVA, thereby reducing the production of vitamin D. Sunscreen doesn’t reduce the risk of melanoma. Canadians and Americans have skin pigmentation appropriate for their latitudes so really don’t need artificial sunscreen,” says Dr. Grant. “The main thing regarding solar UV exposure is to avoid burning or reddening or excessive tanning.”

08-30-2004, 11:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
pam Police Department Join Date: Oct 29 2001 Location: USA Posts: 5,036 Rep Power: 9	An Unpleasant Blast from the Past Rickets, a disorder characterized by bowlegs and stunted growth, is an entirely preventable disease that most of us connect with the hard life of bygone days. But the disease is making a troubling comeback. North American health organizations report a number of alarming cases of rickets in both the United States and Canada. The cause? Vitamin D deficiency — and children aren’t the only ones at risk. “Vitamin D is important not only for bone health, but also for a number of other conditions and diseases including muscle well being and prevention of 16 types of internal cancer, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes among infants,” says Dr. William Grant, of Norfolk News, Virginia, a prominent medical researcher in the fields of nutrition and ultraviolet radiation and the director of Sunlight Nutrition and Health Research Center (www.sunarc.org). Vitamin D is also useful in the treatment of muscle pain, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Excess amounts can be problematic, however, causing bleeding, kidney stones and weakened bones and muscles. The importance of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous, is evident in the way that skin pigmentation adapts over periods of millennia to local UV conditions, says Dr. Grant, so that it’s “… light enough for production of vitamin D yet dark enough for reduced risk from free radicals from penetration of UV radiation.” Dr. Grant, along with many leading vitamin D researchers, is concerned that by successfully demonizing sunlight, the most important source of vitamin D, we run the risk of widespread and potentially devastating health problems. “There is an epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency in the United States and Canada. As is readily apparent from the Atlas of Cancer Mortality, mortality rates for breast, colon, ovarian and rectal cancers are about twice as high in the northeastern states as they are in the southwestern states. I’ve shown that this is directly related to July UVB doses as well as differences in degree of urbanization,” says Dr. Grant. For most people, solar UVB radiation provides the majority of vitamin D. It’s also available in some foods, including cheese, butter and margarine, cream, fortified milk, fish, oysters and fortified cereals. “Food does not generally contain enough vitamin D to do much good. (Researcher) Cedric Garland and I recently reviewed the literature on vitamin D and colorectal cancer. Dietary sources were almost always found to be inadequate to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in a statistically significant manner…” says Dr. Grant. The views of vitamin D researchers such as Dr. Grant fly in the face of warnings by dermatologists who caution against any unprotected sun exposure. “The dermatologists are like highway patrolmen who, seeing that many people die from accidents due to speeding, urge everyone to drive slowly and not during peak commute hours,” he says. Sunshine State: Elderly people, breast-fed babies and African-Americans are especially vulnerable to vitamin D deficiencies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get 200 IU/day beginning at 2 months — a dosage that should carry into adolescence. Dr. Grant suggests the following ways to make sure you get adequate daily amounts of vitamin D: Go into sunlight and soak up the beneficial rays. Consider taking supplements or using artificial UV lamps, especially in winter or if lifestyle prevents adequate UVB exposure. If you take more than 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D or combine UVB exposure with more than 600 IU/day, have a blood test to make sure proper D levels are maintained. “Excess D can lead to problems such as reduced calcium in bones and increased risk of prostate cancer,” says Dr. Grant. “Dermatologists have made those living in the United States, Canada and Australia afraid of their shadows. Sunscreen blocks UVB and some UVA, thereby reducing the production of vitamin D. Sunscreen doesn’t reduce the risk of melanoma. Canadians and Americans have skin pigmentation appropriate for their latitudes so really don’t need artificial sunscreen,” says Dr. Grant. “The main thing regarding solar UV exposure is to avoid burning or reddening or excessive tanning.”