Summary
For years, experts have known that vitamin D plays a leading role in good bone health, but now they're finding the vitamin can do a lot more, too. New research has found that vitamin D is key to preventing heart disease, cancer, arthritis and even multiple sclerosis. "For those of us in nutritional medicine, the whole story is vitamin D is no longer just about bone health," one expert says.
Original source:
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0426/life/stories/03life.htm
Details
We've long known the benefits of vitamin D for strengthening bones, but researchers are finding that it may also play a role in preventing heart disease, certain types of cancer, arthritis and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
"For those of us in nutritional medicine, the whole story is vitamin D is no longer just about bone health," says Dr. Joel Evans, founder and director of The Center for Women's Health in Darien, Conn., and co-author of the upcoming "The Whole Pregnancy Handbook" (Gotham Books, $20).
Says Dr. Richard Cooper, a licensed naturopathic physician in New Canaan, Conn.: "We're starting to get a better understanding of its full effect on the body.
There is increasing evidence that people who live farther from the equator, and therefore get less sunlight, experience a greater rate of incidence of certain maladies, including multiple sclerosis and colon cancer.
"On the down side, there is increased risk of certain types of skin cancer, but if you avoid the sun totally, there is the risk of being deficient in vitamin D. The fact of the matter is when you use a lot of sunscreen, you decrease the amount of vitamin D....
How much sun exposure should be based on what your risks are."
"The biggest factor is that the governing bodies that come up with recommended dietary intake purely base it on a deficiency disease to prevent things like rickets," Evans says.
"Anybody that would be looking to explore this more should be doing so with someone who knows what tests need to be run," Cooper advises.
There are also some who believe that
vitamin D isn't actually a vitamin, because it's produced naturally through sun exposure.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training.
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Thursday, May 19, 2005
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