New Evidence, Sunshine DOES Slash Your Cancer Risk (With Video)
The study looked at almost 1,200 women, aged 55 and older, over the course of four years. Those in a group that was given supplemental calcium and vitamin D had a 60 percent lower risk for all cancers than those who received a placebo.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(6):1586-91 June 2007
GlobeAndMail.com June 8, 2007
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Dr. Mercola's Comment:
I received a lot of criticism three months ago for my video explaining how you can cut your cancer risk in half by spending time in the sun (although it was the Most Watched video on YouTube I've ever produced).
In fact, some considered me a total quack because of my stand on this issue. But I've stood by my beliefs and recommendations, and now science is providing additional strong and clear evidence that my assertions were true.
This latest, groundbreaking study is proof positive that that sufficient levels of vitamin D does indeed slash your cancer risk -- and by a whopping 60 percent!
Vitamin D is available in some food sources, but about 90 percent of the vitamin is produced within the body as a result of exposure to sunlight. I recently wrote about the decrease in sun exposure over the last decade, which is in large part due to the medical warnings about skin cancer, the over-use of sunscreens, and societal changes causing people to stay indoors rather than spend time outside.
Unfortunately this lack of sensible sun exposure has far-reaching health implications.
While you clearly need sensible sun exposure, what most people don't realize is that the amount of antioxidants that you have in your skin plays a major role in the development of sunburn. Additionally omega-3 deficiencies are a far more siginificant risk factor for deadly skin cancers than sun exposure is.
Researchers now agree that the rampant increase of a wide variety of cancers may be due to widespread vitamin D deficiency. Among the cancers linked to low levels of vitamin D are breast, colon, lung, rectum, ovary, pancreas, prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
Next year, my forthcoming book Dark Deception will explore this topic in detail, and expose why the conventional wisdom on the subject, which encourages you to stay out of the sun, is dead wrong.
Related Articles:
Learn Why the Myth of the Sun Causing Skin Cancer Can Hurt Your Health
Vitamin D for Cancer
Sun Protects Against Cancer