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New York Times Personal Health columnist Jane Brody recently wrote an article on the benefits of sunshine titled A Second Opinion on Sunshine. Her main interviewee was Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, dermatology, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine. He was the first person to discover the active form of vitamin D. He has spent decades researching the effects of vitamin D in the body. Although many doctors have warned against UV radiation exposure, Dr. Holick's research contradicts these beliefs. He states that brief exposure to the sun, or a tanning bed, several times a week can help keep away many diseases. These diseases include osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and cancers of the colon, prostate and breast (Brody). According to the Canadian Cancer Society, breast, prostate, and colon cancer claimed 31, 300 Canadian lives in 2003, compared to a meager 840 deaths from melanoma (Canadian Cancer Society).

The recommended amount of vitamin D intake ranges from 200 international units for infants, about 400 for adults, to 600 for seniors. However, Dr. Holick and other experts say 1,000 units a day are needed (Brody). The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs documents one surprising study on vitamin D patients that supports Dr. Holick's belief. It examined nearly 300 patients, of all ages, that were hospitalized for a variety of reasons. The testing discovered that 57% of the patients did not have high enough levels of vitamin D. Additionally, one third of the people who obtained the current recommended amount of vitamin D through their diet or supplements still had a vitamin D deficiency (Wilmot 380). This suggests that the current recommendations for vitamin D may not be high enough.

But why is it important to get vitamin D from the sun? In A Second Opinion on Sunshine, Dr. Holick says, "between 90 percent and 95 percent of most people's vitamin D comes from casual exposure to sunlight" (Brody). Recent studies documented in The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs have found that fortified milk may have 20-50% less vitamin D than the label indicates. In one report, 15% of fortified skim milk samples had no measurable vitamin D. (Wilmot 183) Also, the milk used to make yogurt, cheese and other diary products isn't fortified with vitamin D, so these foods only contain trace amounts of the vitamin. (Wilmot 381) On average, one cup (8 ounces) of milk contains about 50 IU of vitamin D. The average adult needs at least 400 IU a day (Wilmot 381). This means drinking at least eight glasses a milk a day, on top of the already recommended eight glasses of water for other health reasons.

Another main source of vitamin D are certain types of fish, such as herring, salmon, and tuna (Wilmot 381). But to reach the amount of vitamin D, a person would need to eat one of these types of fish at least once every day. As little as 10 to 15 minutes of midday sunlight two or three times a week can supply all the vitamin D a person needs. During the winter in Canada, however, because of the angle of the sun, no vitamin D is supplied through natural sunlight (Wilmot 381). What is a controlled, professionally supervised substitute for a lack of sun in the winter? Indoor tanning.

It is true that repeated exposure to UV radiation, whether from the sun or, even more, a tanning bed, can lead to a high possibility of eye damage. This can result in many problems including cataracts. If left untreated, certain types of eye damage including cataracts can even cause blindness. However, these problems are easy to avoid. Prescription sunglasses absorb 100% of UVB rays and 90-98% if UVA rays (Kenet and Lawler). Goggles provided in tanning beds offer the same protection. Health Canada, which regulates tanning Canada, states that all tanning salons must provide of a set of protective goggles for each tanning bed (Health Canada). Therefore, wearing prescription sunglasses in outdoor light and using goggles in a tanning bed can prevent any eye damage.

Also her article A Second Opinion on Sunshine, Jane Brody interviewed Dr. William Grant of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. His own research matched the beliefs on Dr. Holick. Grant found that people who worked outdoors or lived in sunny climates had lower death rates from cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, ovary, bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum and stomach. He calculated that 85,000 fewer cases of cancer and 30,000 fewer cancer deaths would occur each year if everyone in the U.S. got as much sun as people living in the southwest United States. The same applies to other diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type-1 diabetes (Brody). And again, The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs backs this research. It states that animal research has uncovered a link between resistance to multiple sclerosis with high levels of vitamin D. This theory may also help explain why MS is so rare in the tropics. (Wilmot 173)

Another health textbook, The Medical Advisor, discusses the importance of Vitamin D. According to the text, vitamin D regulates the intake and balance of calcium and phosphorus in the body. If vitamin D levels are low, calcium or phosphorus cannot be absorbed and utilized no matter how much an individual digests. Lack of calcium and phosphorus in the body can lead to another multitude of medical conditions. Calcium deficiency can cause a higher risk of heart disease and colorectal cancer (Somerville 1035-6). The Heart and Stroke Foundation declares that 80% of all Canadians are at risk for heart disease. Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, says that heart disease places " a significant burden on Canadians and our health care system more than any other illness" (Heart and Stroke).

The Medical Advisor later states that phosphorus is crucial to heart and kidney function, tissue growth and repair, nerve-pulse transmission and muscle contraction (Somerville 1040). Finally, the book also reveals other problems with vitamin D deficiency, including nervousness, diarrhea, insomnia, muscle twitches, and bone weakening (Somerville 1035).

Are there even more problems with low levels of vitamin D? Leading journalist Lindsey Tanner of the Chicago Tribune also researched the side effects of vitamin D deficiency, but with an emphasis on teens. In her article Teens' Vitamin D Deficiency often goes Overlooked, Tanner reports that it is an overlooked problem that may affect millions of American adolescents. It often goes undetected and untreated. Vitamin D deficiency puts teens at risk for stunted growth and osteoporosis later in life. She interviewed Dr. Holick as well since he also conducted some research on teens. He estimates that as many as 30 percent of adolescents in the U.S. may be affected by vitamin D deficiency. These percentages are probably even higher for African-American teens because the darker the skin tone, the more sunlight an individual needs to produce an adequate amount of vitamin D. And no matter what skin tone, teens in northern cities with less year-round sunlight are also prone to the deficiency. (Tanner). Tanner also interviewed Dr. Catherine Gordon, a Boston pediatric endocrinologist. Many of her patients have vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Gordon says that she gets into, "lively debates with dermatologists because they say we should all have sunscreen on all the time" while Dr. Holick calls vitamin D deficiency "...an unrecognized epidemic" (Tanner). But this still is not all that is affected by exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

What else can indoor tanning help? Psoriasis is characterized by reddened, raised patches of skin with silvery patches called plaques. These clearly defined plaques appear most commonly on elbows, knees, neck, and scalp. According to the Family Health & Medical Guide, sometimes the disease can become "...so severe that chills, painful reddening of the skin, cracking of the skin around the joints, and shedding of large areas of scaled result. This often results in hospitalization for intense therapy" (Hughes 143). In his book, Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs, Michael Murray, N.D., advocates tanning as the best treatment for the disease. He declares that "if you have psoriasis, get a tan. Sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) and/or tanning beds often provide benefit to individuals with psoriasis" (Murray 170). . .

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