Its a sad fact that winter brings with it an increase of cancer cases to my email inbox. No doubt some of you have been touched by cancer so this article may be of use to you or someone that you know.
A study is the first to show that vitamin D's genomic and nongenomic effects use one simultaneous pathway and integrate to regulate cell physiology. Big words I know but take it from me, vitamin D is a big player when it comes to the big C.
Sources:Nowadays we avoid the sun like the plague for fear of skin cancer despite little correlation between the sun being the main factor that causes skin cancer. We excessively use of sunscreen despite its carcinogenic nature. Research has shown that if vitamin D levels were increased, around 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented worldwide each year.
Vitamin D, known as “the sunshine vitamin,” is also a hormone precursor that influences your entire body. Vitamin D receptors have been found in pretty much every type of human cell, from the brain to the bones. Talk about essential!
Vitamin D:
- enhances calcium absorption
- inducing cell differentiation
- increasing cancer cell apoptosis or death
- reducing metastasis and proliferation
- reducing angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels, which promotes tumor growth)
- downregulating parathyroid hormone (PTH)
- up- or downregulating gene expression
Winter D levels range from 15 to 18 ng/ml which indicates a serious deficiency as the optimal range is thought to be between 50 and 65 ng/ml. In this range you will be able to store the vitamin in your tissues, below this range you simply use it as quickly as it’s created.
Some research suggests that level between 65-90 ng/ml are a factor in cancer protection but this ultimately depends upon on such factors as skin pigmentation, body mass index (vitamin D is fat soluble), age, condition of digestive tract, other dietary factors, etc.
If you're dark skinned you may need more sun exposure than someone whose very fair, you may need less. Although theirs not much chance of getting a tan here in the UK at the moment, always aim for a pink hue. Any more than this you cannot store anymore and will likely burn, which obviously isn't good.