Naturalpath

Healthnotes Newswire (June 7, 2007)—It is well known that physical activity is necessary for people to stay strong as they age, but now it appears that unsuspecting older people might have a vitamin D deficiency working against them. New research finds that getting enough vitamin D helps seniors stay strong.

Staying fit is a major concern to many people as they strive to remain independent while facing their later years. Physical fitness influences mental fitness and helps people avoid disability by reducing risk of chronic diseases.

Over the past few years there has been increasing awareness of vitamin D’s role in overall health. In addition to regulating how bones use calcium, vitamin D also controls the way calcium is absorbed and used by the body, influences immune function, and has some anticancer effects.

I love walking barefoot on the beach on a beautiful sunny day, then lounging under a sun-brella — I imagine Vitamin D penetrating my hide, making my innards feel all warm and fuzzy. But with my fair skin genes, I have to be conscientious about sun protection year-round — slathering it on, daily. But it’s that time of year, when you’re probably shopping SPFs:

• look for products with either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, natural minerals for sound UV protection
• or choose plant-based ingredients, such as green-tea extract, which are high in antioxidants, and their anti-inflammatory properties can help prevent sun damage and minimize burn damage, if it does occur.

Fortunately, there are many good chemical-free sunscreen lotions available today, at various price points. Here’s my round-up of some Good Green Protection from sun’s harmful rays.

At an April 2006 cancer conference, evidence was presented that the
risk of breast cancer was reduced by 50% when vitamin D in the blood was 52
nanograms per milliliter, which equals to no less than 1000 international units (IU)
of vitamin D every day whether in the diet or in supplements. The average person
only gets 310 IU a day. (Evidence of Need for Increasing Dietary Vitamin D in Food.
Abstract 4008 - AACR Conference.) It is believe that part of the protective role Vitamin D plays is through its ablility to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells as well as blocking excessive blood vessel formation around the tumor.

Healthnotes Newswire (May 10, 2007)—A new study has concluded that vitamin D, mostly known for its beneficial relationship to calcium in promoting bone strength, may also help prevent colon cancer. Previous research had begun to uncover the mechanisms of this protective effect, but studies in humans have produced unclear results.

“The Women’s Health Initiative demonstrated that [supplementing with] a low dose of vitamin D did not protect against colorectal cancer within seven years of follow-up,” wrote Edward D. Gorham, PhD, of the Moores Cancer Center at the University of San Diego and lead author of the new study. But the analysis pooled data from five studies and showed something different: that a higher intake of vitamin D is associated with a reduced incidence of colorectal cancer.