Lack
of Sunshine Causes One Million Deaths a Year
If vitamin D3 levels among populations worldwide were increased, 600,000
cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented each year, according
to researchers from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California,
San Diego (UCSD). This includes nearly 150,000 cases of cancer that could
be prevented in the United States alone. The researchers estimate that
250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer could
be prevented worldwide by increasing intake of vitamin D3, particularly
in countries north of the equator. The study examines the dose-response
relationship between vitamin D and cancer, and is the first to use satellite
measurements of sun and cloud cover in countries where blood serum levels
of vitamin D3 were also taken. more
According to the National Cancer Institute, lifetime exposure to sunlight
may reduce your risk of some of the most common types of cancer. In an
analysis of death certificates from 24 states over an 11-year period, the
NCI researchers found that people who lived in the sunniest parts of the
country, and those exposed to the most sunlight through their jobs, had
significantly lower rates of breast and colon cancer than matched controls.
The
scientists identified cases through a database maintained by the
NCI, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the
National Center for Health Statistics. The data was collected from 24 states
from 1984 through 1995, and includes information on occupation, state of
residence at birth and at death, and cause of death. The researchers took
significant measures to ensure the accuracy of their data. They only included
people who were born and died in states in the same solar radiation range.
And they classified farmers in their own occupational category, separate
from other outdoor jobs, as they have been shown to have higher overall
rates of certain types of cancer. They also narrowed down the cases substantially
with a long list of exclusions.
Even after all those adjustments, the results were compelling. Overall,
people who lived in the highest solar radiation range (in states like Arizona,
Hawaii, Florida, and Texas) had less risk of dying of breast, ovarian,
prostate, or colon cancer than those who lived in the lowest range (states
like Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Washington). The occupational difference
was most significant in relation to cases breast and colon cancer; across
all levels of solar radiation, people who worked outside had 20 to 25 percent
less risk of these two types of cancer. And the benefits of outside work
weren't attributable to the amount of hard labor. Even after the researchers
adjusted for level of physical activity, the reduction in risk remained.
In their discussion, the NCI researchers theorize that sunlight offers
cancer protection through its contribution of vitamin D. Recent laboratory
tests have shown that vitamin D can slow or halt the proliferation of breast
and colon cancer cells. And in other research, breast cancer patients showed
lower serum concentrations of a form of vitamin D when compared with healthy
controls.
It's the great cancer cover-up. Panicked into avoiding sunlight by health
experts, we are now dying in our thousands from diseases linked to deficiencies
of vitamin D. But still the exaggerated warnings come. - Oliver Gillie
more
Why one should
not be dissuaded from enjoying the Sun for optimal health
It has been frequently reported that those who are regularly exposed
to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) due to their occupation have a reduced risk
of developing melanoma [Garland et al., 1990; Kennedy et al., 2004]. The
reasons appear to be twofold: 1 - they develop a tan that blocks the penetration
of UVR so it can't produce the free radicals that can lead to melanoma;
and 2 - they produce lots of vitamin D. Both links have just been demonstrated
in an excellent study by investigators studying 497 people with melanoma
in and around Philadelphia and San Francisco [Millen et al., 2004].
Health and Light: The Effects of Natural and Artificial Light on Man
and Other Living Things
Sunlight
Actually Prevents Cancer Dr. Mercola
In recent years we've all been trained to fear the sun, due to the
threat of skin cancer. Now there is a growing belief that exposure to the
sun may not actually cause skin cancer. Either way, the fear of
skin cancer shouldn't keep you huddled indoors in the dark. According to
Dr. William C. Douglass, you can reap the sun's healthy benefits with as
little as 20 minutes of exposure a day.
However,
skin cancers are more likely related to the large distortion most people
have in their omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio. The
high excess of omega-6 fats in most people's diet puts them at a much higher
risk of developing skin cancer when exposed to excess sun.
So the solution is not to slather sun block on. Sun block can be quite
toxic and should be avoided by most people. The sensible approach would
be to limit sun exposure so you never get sun burned. It is sunburn in
conjunction with excess omega-6 fats that increases your risk of skin cancer.
Sunlight Exposure Beneficial In Multiple Sclerosis
In a recently published exploratory study, mortality from multiple
sclerosis (MS) was found to be reduced by exposure to sunlight. Depending
on the degree of sunlight exposure, the risk of death from MS was reduced
by up to 76%. No theory on the precise mechanism of action in this reduction
was proposed by the authors. Occup
Environ Med 2000;57:418-421
Learn
Why the Myth of the Sun Causing Skin Cancer Can Hurt Your Health
A recent study in the prominent US dermatology journal tell us that
only a small fraction of US schools have implemented policies that protect
students from over-exposure to the sun, and few provide shade, sunscreen,
or other ways to avoid ultraviolet rays. Since severe sunburns occur during
childhood, which may promote melanoma later, these experts recommend that
policymakers and school administrators encourage and implement sun protection
policies at schools nationwide. The authors of this study recommend that
schools without a sun protection policy adopt one, and at least implement
minor changes that could help shield students from the sun, such as allowing
staff to put sunscreen on students, and permitting hats and sunglasses
when outdoors. Archives of Dermatology
June 2002;138:771-774
Reduce
Your Risk of Cancer With Sunlight Exposure
By William B. Grant, Ph.D.
Sun
Exposure (UVB) Protects Against 16 Types of Cancer - The new study links
UVB as protective to a total of 16 types of cancer, primarily epithelial
(pertaining to the surface) cancers of the digestive and reproductive systems
[Grant, submitted]. Six types of cancer (breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal,
ovarian, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) were inversely correlated to solar
UVB radiation and rural residence in combination. This result strongly
suggests that living in an urban environment is associated with reduced
UVB exposure compared to living in a rural environment.
Another 10 types of cancer including bladder, gallbladder, gastric,
pancreatic, prostate, rectal and renal were inversely correlated with UVB
but not urban residence. Ten types of cancer were significantly correlated
with smoking, six types with alcohol, and seven types with Hispanic heritage.
Poverty status was inversely correlated with seven types of cancer. Since
the results for alcohol, Hispanic heritage, and smoking for white Americans
agree well with the literature [Trapido et al., 1995; Thun et al., 2002],
they provide a high level of confidence in the approach and its results
for UVB radiation
In a televised interview, Dr. Lorraine Day, MD, reported that rats fed
a healthy diet developed no cases of skin cancer when exposed to the sun,
while 25% of those fed the standard american did develop cancerous lesions.
The difference between the two diets is likely to be the quality of the
fats, as will be come more apparent shortly. more
Solar ultraviolet-B radiation
reduces cancer risk in Spain A study published electronically
this week in the International Journal of Cancer used a novel approach
to examine the relation between solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiance, vitamin
D, and cancer risk reduction. In this study, mortality rates for non-melanoma
skin cancer (NMSC), which is primarily due to squamous cell carcinoma,
were used as the index of integrated lifetime solar UVB irradiance. NMSC
mortality rates provide higher confidence regarding the population exposure
to solar UVB than geographic location of residence, which has been used
in such studies in the past. Thus, locations with a larger fraction of
the population having outdoor occupations, such as farming, will have higher
NMSC mortality rates. In addition, lung cancer mortality rate was used
as the index for the adverse health effects of smoking. more
Robert Bazell, Chief MSNBC Science & Health Correspondent
- "About three decades ago, dermatologists alarmed at the rising incidence
of skin cancer began a campaign to get people to stop spending so much
time in the sun, or at least to cover up with strong sunblock lotion if
they did. The effort was enormously successful. Now there is a big problem
with it. When the sun’s rays (unfiltered by lotion) strike our skin, our
bodies produce vitamin D. Scientists always knew vitamin D is critical
for good health. Children not exposed enough to the sun can get a terrible
disease called rickets. But around 1989 scientists began to discover
that vitamin D played an important critical role in all the cells in the
body, and they hypothesized that a lack of vitamin D could increase the
risks for cancer.
Large population studies have now verified that people with low vitamin
D levels indeed have higher levels of several common types of cancer, including
colon and breast. Some of the best research comes from the Nurse’s Health
Study and the Health Professionals Study -- two efforts run by the Harvard
School of Public Health that have been following tens of thousands
of people for decades. The latest study looks at cancer incidence in men.
You can see the journal
article here with references to past studies that came to similar conclusions.
And here is the editorial that accompanies the study results in the Journal
of the National Cancer Institute. In addition to the Harvard study, two
others came out today demonstrating an increased incidence of breast cancer
in women with low levels of vitamin D. Those were presented at the annual
meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
So how much vitamin D do we need? Based on these latest studies, experts
now recommend a minimum of 1,000 units a day. We get about 200 from food
and supplements usually contain 400. That is where the sun comes in. No
one is saying people should get sunburned or even tan. But you can get
1,000 units of vitamin D by spending 10 minutes in the sun in the middle
of the day with your arms and face exposed. Amazingly, with our automobile
and indoor lifestyle many Americans do not get even that much." more
You
Can Naturally Relieve Pain With Simple Sunlight
Psychosomatic Medicine January/February 2005;67(1):156-163
Exposure to sunlight may be the newest method of easing pain. According
to a report, boosting the amount of sunlight in a patient's hospital room
decreases their perception of pain and their need for painkiller medication.
Researchers enrolled nearly 90 patients who had undergone spinal surgery
and placed them in randomly assigned hospital rooms--the rooms were either
sunny or dim upon their return from surgery. With the aid of light meter
measurements, researchers found:
-
Patients assigned to bright rooms received an average of 46 percent more
natural sunlight a day, compared to patients in the dim room, which translated
to an average 21 percent reduction in the cost of painkiller medication
for patients in bright rooms
-
Bright-room patients had considerably lower stress scores and slightly
lower pain scores when they left the hospital, compared to patients in
dimmer rooms.
-
These results may motivate hospital administrators to relocate patients
with high painkiller requirements to rooms with higher intensity sunlight.
Sun
Gazing to promote healing - Humans have used light for healing since
before the time of ancient Egypt. This book explains the therapeutic benefits
of sunlight and reveals the evidence that sunlight is far more beneficial
than we realize. Take note of the subtitle of our book, because your passageway
into Sun Gazing will allow you to actually change the neural pathways in
the brain. Also, an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick,
the world's foremost authority on vitamin D and the healing power of natural
sunlight. In this interview, Dr. Holick reveals fascinating facts on how
vitamin D is created and used in the human body to ward off chronic diseases.
This is one of the most eye-opening interviews you'll ever read on health.
more
Lack
of Sunlight Since a lack of sunlight prevents the formation
of Vitamin D, it may be that high cholesterol levels result from a simple
lack of sunlight. People who stay indoors all the time and only go outside
using industrial-strength sun block (as opposed to increasing sun exposure
gradually and letting it fall on bare skin) would be subject to increased
cholesterol levels for that reason. (Bad
Cholesterol: A Myth and a Fraud? The Dangers of Low Blood Cholesterol)
Exposure
to sunlight could reduce asthma
Australian researchers have found that exposure to measured doses of
ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, could reduce asthma.
The research team at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research,
through funding provided by the Asthma Foundation of WA, studied the effect
of ultraviolet light on the development of asthma-like symptoms in mice,
such as inflamed airways and lungs.
The study found that exposure to ultraviolet light for 15 to 30 minutes
before allergen exposure significantly reduces the development of asthma-like
symptoms
This UV exposure produces a cell type that, when transferred into other
mice before they're sensitised to an allergen, can prevent the development
of some of the asthma-like symptoms.
Associate Professor Prue Hart, leader of the research team, which includes
Dr Debra Turner, Dr Shelley Gorman and PhD student Jacqueline McGlade,
is excited by the ground-breaking results and possible future applications.
more
The
Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century
by Richard Hobday
Richard Hobday, MSc, PhD is a member of the British Register of Complementary
Practitioners and has studied traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese
exercise systems in China. Dr. Hobday has many years experience of solar
design in buildings and is a leading authority on the history of sunlight
therapy.
The human race evolved under the sun, and for thousands of years lived
in harmony with its heat and light. Yet over the last fifty years we have
lost this close contact with the sun and its healing powers. We have become
afraid of it.
However the sun is central to our well being and health. Did you know
that: designing and building sunlit houses can help prevent disease, make
us feel happier and save energy; sunlight can help prevent and heal many
common and often fatal diseases like breast cancer, heart disease, multiple
sclerosis and osteoporosis; before antibiotics, sunlight was used successfully
to speed up the healing of wounds; tanning moderately throughout the year
is better than avoiding the sun altogether; sudden bursts of strong solar
radiation are unnatural and dangerous, protection needs to be built up
slowly; early morning sunlight in cool temperatures is particularly beneficial
to the body.
The light and heat from the sun are indispensable to all nature. Humanity
is also part of nature and needs sunlight for health and well being, for
vitality and happiness. This book explains how and why we should welcome
sunlight back into our lives — safely! It shows how sunlight was used to
prevent and cure diseases in the past, and how it can heal us and help
us in the future.
Sun Creams Are the Subject of New
Safety Fears
CDC: Americans
Carry Body Burden of Toxic Sunscreen Chemical
25 MAR 2008 A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) reveals that 97% of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used
sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies,
hormone disruption, and cell damage. A companion study published just one
day earlier revealed that this chemical is linked to low birth weight in
baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Oxybenzone is also
a penetration enhancer, a chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate
the skin. Environmental Working Group identified nearly 600 sunscreens
sold in the U.S. that contain oxybenzone, including products by Hawaiian
Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat (see
the full list of 588 sunscreens here) as well as 172 facial moisturizers,
111 lip balms, and 81 different types of lipstick. The Food and Drug Administration
has failed miserably in its duty to protect the public from toxic chemicals
like oxybenzone in personal care products. At the request of industry lobbyists,
including Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who represented the
Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association, the agency has delayed final
sunscreen safety standards for nearly 30 years. FDA issued a new draft
of the standards last October under pressure from EWG, but continues to
delay finalizing them at the behest of the regulated industry. more
Sunscreen
found to generate harmful compounds that promote skin cancer
A team of researchers from the University of California has found that
sunscreen can do more harm than good once it soaks into the skin, where
it actually promotes the harmful compounds it is meant to protect against.
The research team found that three commonly used ultraviolet (UV) filters
-- octylmethoxycinnamate, benzophenone 3 and octocrylene -- eventually
soak into the deeper layers of the skin after their application, leaving
the top skin layers vulnerable to sun damage. UV rays absorbed by the skin
can generate harmful compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which
can cause skin cancer and premature aging. The researchers found that once
the filters in sunscreen soak into the lower layers of skin, the filters
react with UV light to create more damaging ROS. more
Sun-Care
Chemical Proves Toxic in Lab Tests The main chemical used in sun lotions
to filter out ultraviolet light may be TOXIC, particularly when exposed
to sunshine. Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), which is present in 90 per cent
of sunscreen brands, was found to kill mouse cells even at low doses in
a study by Norwegian scientists.
Sunblock
Can Actually Increase Your Cancer Risk - Using sunblock stops your
body from getting valuable vitamin D that prevents cancer and does nothing
to inhibit the major cause of skin cancer, which is actually an imbalance
of the proper fats in your diet. Find out how you can really prevent skin
cancer.
Sunbathing
for Health Dr. Bernarr Zovluck
The sun provides the basis for all life on earth. The sun is the source
of energy for all plants, and indirectly, for all animals. Take away the
sunlight and all life on earth would soon perish. Deprived of sunlight,
man loses physical vigor and strength and will develop a disinclination
for activity, wrote Dr.
Herbert Shelton.
I sunbathe nude almost everyday, at noontime, the hottest part of the
day, for several hours, and at age 67, having done this for over 45 years,
I have never developed skin cancer, wrinkles or dryness.
Sunbathing does not cause cancer of the skin nor wrinkles nor drying
of the skin. Healthy people do not get skin cancer - unhealthy people do.
Sunbathing helps heal those with cancer by building up the body's vital
energies and increasing the oxygen in the tissues. Sunbathing helps heal
cancer of the skin, wrinkles and drying of the skin. Unfortunately, those
who develop skin cancer and/or wrinkles and also coincidentally sunbathe
have had many unhealthful habits that cause their skin cancer, wrinkles
and drying of their skin.
Chronic sunburn on skin containing free radicals leads to skin cancer.
Repeated sunburning, not suntanning itself, causes skin cancer, wrote Dr.
Michael Gray. Sunlight may change free radicals, dietary fat from animal
sources, cholesterol from animal sources and deranged antioxidants brought
to the skin from the eating of cooked foods into carcinogenic substances.
Antioxidant vitamins C and E are reduced or deranged by cooking. Furthermore,
fats and oils applied to the skin in suntan lotions and other cosmetics
are sources of free radicals which can lead to skin cancer.
Dr. Zane Kime wrote that
suntan lotions should not be used because they can cause cancer. Sunscreen
may actually increase the risk of cancer, so proposed California researchers
in a paper published in January, 1993 in the Annals of Epidemiology.
Gray also wrote that those who smoke tobacco and marijuana and expose
them-selves to sunlight tend to get skin cancer.
Cancer is common in those who over-consume coffee and teas which contain
toxic caffeine and tannic acid, and expose themselves to sunlight, wrote
Dr. Becker and D. Alexander.
Immuno-suppressant drugs may contribute to skin cancer as well as x-rays
and chemotherapy. We may be able to reduce our cancer deaths by inducing
a partial or complete immunity by exposure of suitable skin areas to sunlight,
wrote Dr. Frank Apperly.
Sunbathing
helped heal the skin cancer of Dr. Harland G. Call. His skin cancer was
diagnosed by two M.D.s, one of whom was a surgeon who recommended surgical
removal. Call employed sunbathing of the effected area, Within a short
time, the skin cancer disappeared, after which he reported back to the
M.D. who had recommended surgical removal. When the M.D. examined him,
he confirmed that the skin cancer had disappeared without surgical removal.
A man had recurrent skin cancer. His doctor recommended surgery. The
cancerous man rejected the surgery. Instead he followed the advice of Dr.
John Ott to sunbathe without his glasses and after five months his skin
cancer completely disappeared. Sunlight treatments reduced malignant cancer
growths 50% in animal experiments in Russia, writes A.P. Zabaluyeva.
Sunlight helps the body heal wounds and injuries and overcome virtually
any illness. Dr. Carl Hoffminster wrote that soldiers in World War II healed
and survived much better when their open wounds and broken bones were exposed
to sunlight.
Sunbathing helps strengthen muscles. Dr. Zane Kime wrote: Tuberculosis
patients being treated by sunbathing have been observed to have well-developed
muscles with very little fat, even though they have not exercised for months.
He also reported that a study on the effects of sunlight on a group at
a health resort showed that the group that was getting more sunshine with
their exercise had improved almost twice as much as the group that avoided
sunshine as revealed by their electrocardiograms. Kime also wrote, The
Romans made use of the sun in training their gladiators, for they knew
that sunlight seemed to strengthen and enlarge the muscles. Cancer of the
breast, prostate reproductive organs and colon may be caused by not exposing
these vital organs to the sun and air. Anything that blocks sunshine from
penetrating the skin will reduce the amount of Vitamin D that the body
makes. People with lower levels of Vitamin D are at greater risk for colon
cancer, writes the Lancet.
Sunlight helps people overcome winter depression. Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD) hits around 100,000 people and develops into severe depression
as daylight decreases in the winter. If SAD sufferers get out and get some
sunlight during winter, they will relieve their depression, writes Dr.
Keki Sidhwa.
Dr.
Herbert Shelton MD - "Gazing directly into the sun actually
improves sight and aids in overcoming disease".
Dr. Jacob Liberman. - Sunglasses block healing ultra-violet
light and thus contribute to the increased incidence of blindness and eye
disease in this country"
Eyeglasses and contact lenses rob you of energy by blocking some of
the ultra violet rays that travel through the eyes to the pineal gland,
wrote Patricia McCormac. After discontinuing wearing his eyeglasses, Dr.
John Ott wrote that he exposed his eyes to sunlight without lenses and
his vision was much improved. He recommended similar therapy to his friends
and they gained similar improvement in their vision. Ott wrote that nothing
should block out the full spectrum of sunlight, no glasses of any kind
should block the ultra violet rays, and especially no dark glasses.
Dr. Shelton wrote, "In truth man was designed by the Creator to enjoy
the direct rays of the sun and the soothing strengthening influence of
the winds over the whole surface of the body. He is by nature a nude animal."
Arnold Rickli, whose sun and air institution in Switzerland attracted
patients from all over the world in the 19th century, wrote, Man is made
to live in the open air; therefore when exposed to the action of the light,
air and sun, he is in his real element.
If we choose to expose our nude skin to the sunshine, all we need to
do is pay attention to our bodies. Our bodies are always talking to us,
and we must learn to listen. If the sunshine is going to be harmful, our
bodies will feel uncomfortable in the sunshine. This will force us to withdraw
our bodies from the sunshine before it can injure us.
"A full sunbath in the nude is ideal. This is not a mere cosmetic measure,
but a health requirement for greatest value" wrote Dr.
Shelton MD.
Bernarr
McFadden wrote: "From the dawn of history the sun has been utilized
specifically as an aid to restoration of health and s a means of maintaining
and increasing it. The ancient Greeks and Romans, Egyptians and Assyrians,
Arabians, Babylonians and Cretans, the AZT:astonishing factsecs, the early
Chinese and Japanese, the inhabitants of India and most other nations that
were glorious in their day derived their superb health partly from their
contact with the rays of the sun, and healed their ailments by their aid.
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, practiced the sun-cure in the temple
of Esculapius on the island of Cos in ancient Greece."
Everyone sick or well looks better, feels better, gets better and functions
better after exposing every part of their nude bodies to the beautiful
sunshine. Sunbathe each moment you can. It helps you in every possible
way!
In
Light: Medicine Of The Future: How We Can Use It To Heal Ourselves Now
Jacob Liberman, O.D., Ph.D. explains how to utilize the therapeutic
benefits of light. He says that "light is the basic component from which
all life originates, develops, heals, and evolves." Everything that humans
do is affected in some way by light. Light has been used for healing since
the time of ancient Egypt.
Modern scientists began recognizing the benefits of light therapy in
the late 1700's. Although many people believe the ultraviolet (UV) light
is harmful, Dr. Liberman maintains our bodies need at least a small amount
of UV light in order to function properly. He cites studies which indicate
that, due to all the ways in which we block sunlight from our lives, including
wearing sunglasses designed to block out UV rays, "it is possible that
we are unknowingly contributing to the increased incidence of blindness
and eye disease in this country." Dr. Liberman does warn against looking
at the sun directly, or exposing ourselves to it between 10:00 a.m. and
2:00 p.m., but emphasizes that light is a nutrient for the body.
He says people need to be outside in natural light, without sunglasses
or sun block, for a minimum of one hour a day. He warns that warm-white
and cool-white fluorescents "should absolutely be avoided." People who
cannot get outside regularly need to equip their work areas with full-spectrum
light fixtures. Syntonics is the name given to light therapy, which involves
utilizing specific colors for healing specific ailments. Dr. Liberman discusses
its benefits in treating vision problems, seasonal affective disorder (SAD),
cancer, and learning disabilities. He says that "as we continue to discover
and understand the role that light plays in our lives, its use as both
a therapeutic and preventive tool will become more evident."
Bibliography: SUNLIGHT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE; Dr.
Zane Kime, M.D. This book is packed with useful information on the benefits
of sunlight. It is light and easy reading. Item #0185.........$16.00 -
Family Health News (800) 284-6263 (305) 759-9500
Dr. Bernarr Zovluck is dedicated to helping people gain and/or maintain
optimum health through natural methods. You can contact Dr. Bernarr Zovluck
by phone in Los Angeles at 323-653-6314 or 852 0403 or by post mail at
PO Box 691891 Los Angeles, CA 90069
Natural Vision Health
Health of the eye depends on the well-being of one's entire body. Vision
problems are multiplying at epidemic proportions in our society. Over half
of the population over 75 years old has either cataracts, glaucoma, or
macular degeneration. This page show people how to become active participants
in their own vision care, giving back the power and responsibility they
have so trustingly handed over to their eye doctors. The information here
offerss a practical approach to keeping your eyes healthy based on the
underlying philosophy that emphasizes prevention rather than cure, based
on the latest scientific research.
Sunlight
For Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Sunlight
Exposure Beneficial In Multiple Sclerosis
Let
the Sun Shine In (Especially When Pregnant)
Lack
of Light causes high blood pressure
RDA
for Vitamin D Too Low
.
Sunlight
Exposure Beneficial In Multiple Sclerosis
In a recently published exploratory study, mortality from multiple
sclerosis (MS) was found to be reduced by exposure to sunlight. Depending
on the degree of sunlight exposure, the risk of death from MS was reduced
by up to 76%. No theory on the precise mechanism of action in this reduction
was proposed by the authors. Occup Environ Med 2000;57:418-421
Sunlight
Actually Prevents Cancer
Insufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation may be an important
risk factor for cancer in Western Europe and North America, according to
a new study published in the prominent Cancer journal that directly contradicts
official advice about sunlight. The research examined cancer mortality
in the United States. Deaths from a range of cancers of the reproductive
and digestive systems were approximately twice as high in New England as
in the southwest, despite a diet that varies little between regions.
An examination of 506 regions found a close inverse correlation between
cancer mortality and levels of ultraviolet B light. The likeliest mechanism
for a protective effect of sunlight is vitamin D, which is synthesized
by the body in the presence of ultraviolet B. The study's author, Dr William
Grant (wbgrant@infi.net) , says northern parts of the United States may
be dark enough in winter that vitamin D synthesis shuts down completely.
While the study focused on white Americans, the same geographical trend
affects black Americans, whose overall cancer rates are significantly higher.
Darker skinned people require more sunlight to synthesize vitamin D.
There are 13 malignancies that show this inverse correlation, mostly
reproductive and digestive cancers. The strongest inverse correlation is
with breast, colon, and ovarian cancer. Other cancers apparently affected
by sunlight include tumors of the bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum, and
stomach. Cancer March 2002; 94:1867-75
Dr.
Mercola: "Sunlight is man's primary source of vitamin D. It seems
quite obvious that man developed in tropical or subtropical areas and thus,
has a need for sunlight as a nutrient.When we migrated further away from
the equator, our ability to obtain valuable sunlight and its important
influence on our health, was dramatically reduced.
Most all of us need to expose far more of our skin to the sun during
the noon hour to get the beneficial UV-B. Now, I can just hear scores of
you getting alarmed that this recommendation will increase your risk of
skin cancer. Well folks, nothing could be further from the truth. I will
provide all of the documentation and scientific research to support this
assertion in future issues. But, I am convinced beyond any shadow of a
doubt that as long as you avoid being sunburned, sun exposure at noon on
unexposed skin, is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body.
Krispin
has been kind enough to mentor me in the incredible value of vitamin D
and how it is one of the biggest missing nutritional links not being addressed,
even by incredibly astute physicians.
Using foods to optimize people's health has been my driving passion
for more than a decade. I have reviewed tens of thousands of articles and
I missed it big time, so I am sure many others have also. I will be providing
a series of articles in the upcoming weeks to further expand on this extremely
important topic. The necessary doses for vitamin D are far higher than
previously imagined. Most of us would likely benefit from doses closer
to 4,000 units, not 400 units. This is a full order of magnitude higher
than the RDAs.
However, the best way to get this is through sun exposure, NOT though
supplements. Unfortunately, for most of us in the U.S. there are only a
few months of the year where this is even possible. Then, even in those
months, if you live in a polluted urban area, or it is cloudy, there will
not be enough UV-B to penetrate the clouds, smog, or ozone to stimulate
vitamin D production in your skin.
I am working with a company on a very inexpensive UV-B meter tha can
be brought with you places, so you can know exactly how much sunlight you
need on a given day to generate vitamin D exposure. It is a complex determination,
since you also need to factor in the color of your skin. So, most of us
will be stuck using supplements. My favorite is cod
liver oil, since that solves another major issue in our diet, omega
three deficiency. However, one needs to be cautious with supplements at
these doses, and the solution will be to monitor your blood levels of vitamin
D." more
You
can read the other article on vitamin D in this issue that addresses the
cautions.
...and God said "Let There Be Light" Krispin
Sullivan
The Importance of Sunlight
and Vitamin D
For the past number of years clinicians, physicians, national media
and the National Institute of Health have been warning Americans to stay
out of the sun. The purpose of this warning was intended to prevent melanoma,
a serious form of skin cancer. In spite of the ever-increasing use of sunscreens
and intentional reduction of sun exposure, incidence of this cancer is
on the upswing. There is some evidence that the advice given regarding
sunlight may have actually contributed to an increase in incidences of
melanoma because of issues relating to genetics, UV-A radiation, UV-B radiation
and extended exposure times due to reduction in sun-burning by sunscreen
use.
One of the known protectors of skin cells from pre-cancerous changes
is vitamin D. For most Americans the only source of vitamin D is sunlight.
We have a national disaster in progress due to a misunderstanding of the
nature of and need for UV-B and vitamin D.
Naked at Noon, Understanding the Importance of Sunlight and Vitamin
D
The book explains how we get D from food, sunlight and supplements
and how we have become so seriously D deficient by changes in location
(immigration to genetically unfriendly climates), attitudes and lifestyles.
There is a chapter on skin cancer and another on the importance of essential
fats. It also covers information related to vitamin D's intimate
relationship with calcium and magnesium.
"Ultraviolet
(UV) light is divided into 3 bands or wavelength ranges, which are referred
to as UV-C, UV-B and UV-A.6 UV-C is the most energetic and shortest of
the UV bands. It will burn human skin rapidly in extremely small doses.
Fortunately, it is completely absorbed by the ozone layer. However, UV-C
is present in some lights. For this reason, fluorescent and halogen and
other specialty lights may contribute to skin cancer.
UV-A,
known as the “tanning ray,” is primarily responsible for darkening the
pigment in our skin. Most tanning bulbs have a high UV-A output, with a
small percentage of UV-B. UV-A is less energetic than UV-B, so exposure
to UV-A will not result in a burn, unless the skin is photosensitive or
excessive doses are used. UV-A penetrates more deeply into the skin than
UV-B, due to its longer wavelength. Until recently, UV-A was not blocked
by sunscreens. It is now considered to be a major contributor to the high
incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers.7 Seventy-eight percent of UV-A
penetrates glass so windows do not offer protection.
The
ultraviolet wavelength that stimulates our bodies to produce vitamin D
is UV-B. It is sometimes called the “burning ray” because it is the primary
cause of sunburn (erythema). However, UV-B initiates beneficial responses,
stimulating the production of vitamin D that the body uses in many important
processes. Although UV-B causes sunburn, it also causes special skin cells
called melanocytes to produce melanin, which is protective. UV-B also stimulates
the production of Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH), an important hormone
in weight loss and energy production.
The
Healing Power of Sunlight - A special report features an interview with
Dr. Michael Holick (PDF file)
The reason it is difficult to get adequate vitamin D from sunlight is
that while UV-A is present throughout the day, the amount of UV-B present
has to do with the angle of the sun’s rays. Thus, UV-B is present only
during midday hours at higher latitudes, and only with significant intensity
in temperate or tropical latitudes. Only 5 percent of the UV-B light range
goes through glass and it does not penetrate clouds, smog or fog.
Sun exposure at higher latitudes before 10 am or after 2 pm will cause
burning from UV-A before it will supply adequate vitamin D from UV-B. This
finding may surprise you, as it did the researchers. It means that sunning
must occur between the hours we have been told to avoid. Only sunning between
10 am and 2 pm during summer months (or winter months in southern latitudes)
for 20-120 minutes, depending on skin type and color, will form adequate
vitamin D before burning occurs." Krispin Sullivan, CN more
at the Weston A Price Foundation..
Sleep
Deprived Baby? Try Sunlight
For many parents, getting their baby to sleep at night can become a
daunting task. Often times it seems that nothing will help; however, researchers
may have discovered a natural remedy: Sunlight. According to a study,
babies exposed to twice as much light during the day (between noon and
4 pm) became better sleepers at night. Parents are advised to take their
babies out in sunlight. The sun is an amazing healing source that is absolutely
underappreciated in our current culture.
The
Past and Future of Human Nutrition is in the Oceans
Dr. Rene Quinton, a French biologist and biochemist, studied
seawater by comparing the microcosmic ocean environment and its similarities
to blood plasma. His studies, grounded in the rich live mineral content
found in plankton-fed seawater, led to his publication, "L’eau de
Mer Milieu Organique" in 1904. His discovery became known as Ocean
Plasma. Dr. Quinton's work led to the belief that seawater contains every
mineral and trace mineral known in organic form and provides all the necessary
elements needed by human tissues when applied in the proper ratios. He
proved that seawater, properly formulated and under certain conditions,
is virtually identical to mammalian blood plasma. With the assistance of
many eminent physicians, he successfully used seawater as a healing agent
on thousands of patients in France and Egypt in the early 1900s. The report
included before-and-after photos of patients. Babies brought back
from near death from cholera and other causes; cadaver-like bodies filled
out to healthy plumpness; raw, weeping skin from eczema made smooth and
lesion free…all by the power of seawater. Many early-20th-century scourges
such as tuberculosis were shown to be healed by this remarkable marine
plasma. Historically, ocean water (plasma) has had numerous applications,
based on the concept of renewing, purifying and regenerating the internal
fluid terrain as well as maintaining the equilibrium of the body. It has
proved to be a support for and regenerator of cell functions.
Sunbathing for Health
The light and heat from the sun are indispensable to all nature. Humanity is also part of nature and needs sunlight for health and well being, for vitality and happiness. In his book, The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century, Richard Hobday, MSc, PhD, explains how and why we should welcome sunlight back into our lives — safely! It shows how sunlight was used to prevent and cure diseases in the past, and how it can heal us and help us in the future.
Optimum
Nutrition and Natural Health for Animals:
Holistic
Health for Horses,
for
dogs,
for Pet Birds,
for 
Ferrets
and for Cats
Natural
Health for Women:
Natural
Health for Children:
Oxfam is dedicated to creating lasting solutions to hunger, poverty, and social injustice through long-term partnerships with poor communities around the world.
Our
Earth, Our Cure - The Native Americans call it "Ee-Wah-Kee" meaning
"The-Mud-That-Heals". The Amargosians (predecessors to the Aztecs
), the Aborigines, and natives of Mexico and South America all recognized
the benefit of clays. " "...healing mud not only draws toxic material out
of the body if taken internally, but also reduces pain and infection in
open wounds on both humans and animals."
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Patricia Wilson volunteers
her time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant
information. She can be reached at 206-222-1619 or 281-581-2424
(USA) or
