eileen

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/web...0News&classif=

Healthy exposure
Sales of vitamin d soar after canadian cancer society endorses study linking the vitamin to reduced cancer rates

MELISSA CHURLY
Local News - Thursday, June 21, 2007 Updated @ 6:31:48 AM

Linda Urban, like most Canadians, spends her days working indoors, away from the sun. Last year, she became concerned about how her lifestyle might be affecting her health, so she decided to start taking a vitamin D supplement.

"I know I don't get enough, especially in the winter. In the summer, I might get a day off and spend it outside gardening, but I don't think it's enough to last through the winter," said Urban.

The 47-year-old businesswoman owns a health food store called A Healthier You Vitamins and Organic Food in Fort Erie. She has seen interest in vitamin D supplements increase during the past two weeks because of new recommendations from the Canadian Cancer Society.

On June 8, the Canadian Cancer Society recommended adults age 18 and older consider taking 1,000 international units of vitamin D per day in the fall and winter months to help reduce the risk for colorectal, prostate and breast cancer.

The announcement coincided with the release of a new study published in the June edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers at Creighton University in Nebraska studied 1,179 women older than 55. The results of the four-year study indicated that women who took the vitamin had a 60 per cent lower risk of developing cancer.

"There has been mounting evidence to suggest the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention for some time," said Patti Payne, senior adviser prevention for the Canadian Cancer Society. "As a result of the latest study and continued interest from the public we came out with the message."

The society also advised adults who are older, who have dark skin, who wear clothing that covers most of their skin or who don't go outside often to consider taking a supplement all year. dcmaxversion = 9dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.S hockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversionThey recommend consulting a doctor before taking a supplement.

Urban said she takes 1,000 IU per day during the winter, but only takes 400 IU in the summer because she spends more time outside.

"I cut back a bit in the summer because I can get vitamin D in other ways."

In the year she has been taking the supplement, Urban said she has seen positive results.

"The cancer society recommends it for preventing cancer, but it's also good for general overall health. In the winter, it helps prevent colds and flu and it helps you absorb calcium."

She thinks the reason people are purchasing vitamin D supplements now instead of waiting until the fall is because a lot of people spend their days in offices or working shift work, like herself and no longer spend enough time in the sun.

The only time most people are exposed to the sun is when they are walking to their car and that's not enough for sufficient vitamin D. Robert McKay, owner of Vita Health on Portage Road, said he has also seen an increase in vitamin D sales at his store.

People are concerned about cancer and this is a very inexpensive way of preventing certain types of it.

McKay said he thinks the increase in sales and customer interest in vitamin D in recent weeks has a lot to do with the increased media coverage.

It's in the news and people are questioning and doing their research and than making purchases.

He also said the sales increase could be due to the fact that more testing has happened in recent years and the results continue to be positive.

The benefits have been documented and proven over the past few years. The more study they do on it the better the results have been. People definitely see this progress.

Gerry Herrington, director of Public Affairs at NDMAC, a national lobby group representing over-thecounter drug and supplement manufacturers, agrees.

The science is exceptionally strong. This was a very large study compared to a lot of studies on other vitamins and we don't anticipate it will be contradicted any time soon.

We have known the benefits of vitamin D for a long time and we have also known for some time what happens when you don't have optimal levels of the vitamin, said Dr. Gifford Jones, a physician and medical journalist.

He said residents in basically every city in Canada will not be able to get enough vitamin D during the winter months.

Although vitamin D can be absorbed through certain types of food, like fatty fish and fortified milk, Jones said the majority the vitamin is obtained from sun exposure.

This is a case where reasonable exposure to the sun is a good thing and by reasonable, I mean about 10 to 15 minutes a day. We have the ability to store it up a bit, but not enough to last over those long winter months.

Jamieson Laboratories Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of vitamins, said this is usually a slow time of year for sales of vitamin D. In the summer, most people don't need to take a supplement because they get most of their vitamin D from exposure to the sun, said John Challinor, director of communications for Jamieson.

But he said that sales of vitamin D doubled on the weekend after the Canadian Cancer Society made the recommendation.

Major retailers saw an initial increase but things have gone down to closer to regular levels again. Challinor said they won't know the exact sales for another three weeks, but he did say that sales of vitamin D have increased by 19 per cent in Canada in the last 18 months.

Gale MacKinnon, pharmacist and owner of Mackinnon Guardian Drugs on Drummond Road, said he has seen an increase in sales of the vitamin since the Canadian Food guide recommended adults over 50 take a vitamin D supplement in February.

People have definitely been asking about it and the new Food Guide and Canadian Cancer Society has really been a stimulus.

Dose of vitamin d facts

- Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium which makes bones stronger.

- Vitamin D deficiency impairs normal bone metabolism, leading to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.

- Vitamin D overdose can lead to calcification of the kidney and other soft tissues including the heart, lungs and blood vessels

- Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation

- The major sources of vitamin D are fortified foods. In Canada, milk and margarine must be fortified with vitamin D. Goat's milk, fortified plant-based beverages like fortified soy beverages and some calcium-fortified orange juices

- The only natural sources of vitamin D in the Canadian food supply are fatty fish and egg yolks.

- Canadian Cancer society recommends all adutls over age 18 take 1,000 international units (IU) per day during the fall and winter, in consultation with a health-care provider.

Source: Health Canada, Canadian Cancer Society, www. cancer.ca

ebsungirl

Hope the news spreads this way!

__________________
Undercover Angel!