[frantique]

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).

Read more. (Ref: Mercola.com)

And Dr Mercola's comments:

The dangers of sun exposure have been greatly exaggerated, and the benefits highly underestimated. Sun exposure is not the major reason people develop skin cancer. I know many of you might be surprised by this, but this is simply not the truth, and buying into this lie will most assuredly deprive you of the vital benefits the sun can provide.
....
That is absolutely extraordinary, and NO ONE is making a penny from this recommendation, which is one of the primary reasons why this is not being more widely promoted.

Further comments by Dr Mercola in above link.

I remember reading about five years ago in one of the alternative health magazines about a baby here in Australia that was born with a malignant melanoma. I never saw reference to this in any newspapers or news reports. That certainly put paid to the concept that malignant melanomas result only from sun exposure!

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I have read about this topic before. It really is hard to keep ourselves safe nowadays, right? We shouldn't get too much or too less of something. The various environmental problems present today may have caused these things to happen. Scary.

[tekkie]

I have read about this topic before. It really is hard to keep ourselves safe nowadays, right? We shouldn't get too much or too less of something. The various environmental problems present today may have caused these things to happen. Scary.

[james_8970]

I have a feeling that one million people is an overestimate, but that's only a gut feeling.
Think of the people in the far north of our hemisphere, there is sunshine for 6 months straight and then darkness for 6 months straight. Being left in the dark for such a long period of time doesn't seem to affect them greatly, if at all.

I don't feel that medical surveys are done right, I mean one day the sun is the devil, the next it's great. One day chocolate is a killer, the next day it has major health benefits. Remember when cigarettes were good for our health, now they are amongst the number one killers.
I find they don't take a large enough sample and feel the need to jump to conclusions, kinda reminds me of the election polling. Boy were they ever off in New Hampshire (or was it another state, I can't remember).

I have read about this topic before. It really is hard to keep ourselves safe nowadays, right? We shouldn't get too much or too less of something. The various environmental problems present today may have caused these things to happen. upset.gif Scary.

It's not scary, we just need to live normal lives and not let this scare us. Governments and companies feed on fear and try to make the general public believe whatever to accomplish whatever goals (no, I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat). The fact is, these surveys are ultimately funded by these companies and governments which creates a bias. Fox news I'm looking at you.
While I'm not saying that this particular survey is bias or the sample base is wrong, but common sense tells us the everything in moderation is good and I really don't think we have anything to worry about here, I mean we have to go outside to get to and from work don't we?
Personally, I only take what these surveys have to say with a grain of salt, make that a molecule of salt.
James

Edited by james_8970, 14 January 2008 - 10:44 PM.

[vally]

I don't know about the real number case many times they will take a simular case and add it to the survey just to bost it up.
Many surveys are made to serve a sertain idea or thought. Like james_8970 posted:

It's not scary, we just need to live normal lives and not let this scare us. Governments and companies feed on fear and try to make the general public believe whatever to accomplish whatever goals (no, I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat). The fact is, these surveys are ultimately funded by these companies and governments which creates a bias. Fox news I'm looking at you.

At a college near my the students look to do a survey to get some conclusion. And more than once based on what they found the professor can use this in a big scale.
I have a friend that did not see the sun for about 2 months while being undergruond (duringin winter she came early and left late) an army base and she became constantly sick untill she was forced to spend an hour at least outside. so the sun is not only bad!!
I am sure that that we can find that most of our lives based on surveys we should be almost dead

[emeraldnzl]

This is an important issue to which I can attest.

My "Best man's" wife died of Melanoma at 29 years of age. Our current neighbor's wife died aged 27 years. My second cousin died aged 80 years. All the same thing. A small spot somewhere on their body which wasn't attended to straight a way.

All of these people had plenty of sun exposure (my cousin was an orchardist out in the sun all day) and shouldn't have had any vitamin D deficiency.

My wife has had two melanomas removed correctly by a specialist surgeon. She is fine.

New Zealand where we live has (along with Australia) the highest skin cancer rate in the world. We also have the highest number of people exposing themselves to long hours in the sun.

Most current research says that our high rates of melanoma are because of too much sun. There is plenty of scientific evidence of cell breakdown occurring with too much exposure to UV rays. Since the introduction of campaigns to promote reduction of sun exposure at the peak burning times of day and the use of sun block products the rates of skin cancer have reduced.

Even people who get too much exposure from sun beds are at risk. There have been some horrific cases of people contracting melanoma both here and in the UK from too much sun bed use.

The point I am making here is that this is not a black and white issue. In many parts of the world (e.g. Scandinavian countries) where people have less opportunity to get skin exposure to the sun there is a need to get out there to get the vitamin D levels up. In other countries where the UV levels are naturally high it is important to restrict the sun exposure to times of day when UV rates are lower or alternatively use an approved sun block.

approved sun block

This is important because in Australia and New Zealand there have been cases of well known sun block products not providing the required levels of UV protection. Consequently there have been some avoidable cases of cancer. There was a particularly celebrated case in our press not long ago.

Sun exposure to obtain vitamin D is important but don't confuse the issue and think that more and more exposure will protect you. There is ample evidence to the contrary.

Everything in moderation I say.

[Stinky Britches]

Everything in moderation is tried-and-true wisdom. I heard recently on NPR that it is good to let the back of your hands get 15 minutes of exposure daily. Supposedly this will give you the good natural B vitamin from the sun. Remember, long ago people covered up in the sun. Gardeners wore sun bonnets, people at the beach wore suits which covered much of their skin, and ladies would carry parasols as well.
A wise man once told me: "when you are watching a documentary or such on TV, remember that someone put up the money to make that film. Try and find out who they are, and why they did it." Then again, this guy wouldn't have a Yard Sale at his house, as he was convinced people were just 'casing the place' so they could come back later and rob him. Snicker.
As for Fox 5 News: please. Do we also suscribe to the National Enquirer? LOL!
On a personal note, I'm having a hard time (as usual) with Winter. S.A.D. has me sleeping for days at a time. I'm looking forward to Spring and the wonderful rebirth it brings.

[The only pirate washer.]

To the OP.

I better get out my room then. LOL.

I have hypersensitive skin. Does that mean I am going to die at an earlier age?

Pirate.

[loophole]

I have hypersensitive skin. Does that mean I am going to die at an earlier age?

Most of these studies are not to be taken as fact, but more for informational purposes. Pirate, if you don't mind me asking, how did you derive at your name?

[Lehmo]

Think of the people in the far north of our hemisphere, there is sunshine for 6 months straight and then darkness for 6 months straight. Being left in the dark for such a long period of time doesn't seem to affect them greatly, if at all.

In Antarctica, there is no sun for 6 months. People take anti-depressants because it affects them mentally. When it gets to summer, the risk of sunburn is higher because of the snow, so they must be careful. Thats one long day!

[The only pirate washer.]

I have hypersensitive skin. Does that mean I am going to die at an earlier age?

Most of these studies are not to be taken as fact, but more for informational purposes. Pirate, if you don't mind me asking, how did you derive at your name?

Do you mean, where did "the only pirate washer" come from? It comes from"Imwashingmypirate" which is myself on another forum and that came from a piture on my wall. I made this picture when I was in high school and it reminds me of my friends. I wrote in my MD blog where it comes from. I will just paste it in here. If you wish to view my blog you would have to register and PM me to be added to myfriends list. [Edit]

I was thinking of a name that would not give away who I am. I could not think of anything. When looking at my wall I saw a picture I had stuck on it. It says "I'm washing my pirate". This picture is of a hare above a pirate in water. The word pirate replaces the word hare. So I just used it. Thought it would be cool.

It originally said, "I'm washing my hare. I stuck the word pirate over it.

Edited by frantique, 28 January 2008 - 07:52 AM.
To remove website address

[loophole]

Thanks for the explanation Pirate

[Matt Brownn]

There is just too many things to worry about these days I mean every thing is bad for you. You just can't win....

[normonster]

I live in Oregon. What is this "sun" thing y'all are talking about?
normonster

[kazuma]

yes finally an artical that says too little sun is bad for you, i recently read this artical where the person spends NO time in the sun, it was on getting skin cancer, saying to much sun was bad for you. at the time i was thinking, no sun is even worse

sad thing is, if it isn't one thing thats bad, its another thing (things like global warming, some say its happening some say its not >_<) i say make up your mind =P