cancerfreenow.org http://www.cancerfreenow.

org/risk-prostate-cancer-reduced-66-correct-sunlight-exposure/
Risk Of Prostate Cancer Reduced By 66% With Correct Sunlight
Exposure
FACT: People with low levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to die prematurely than people
with high levels of the vitamin, according to studies.
Prostate Cancer Is on the Rise
In the U.S, there will be around 233,000 new cases of prostate
cancer in 2014, which is around 14% of all new cancer cases.
This will equate to approximately 29,480 deaths attributed to
prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is also the most common form of cancer for
men in the UK, with over 40,000 cases each year
representing around 25% of all cancers diagnosed.
In 1990 lung and bowel cancer were the most common forms
of cancer in UK men. By 1998, this had all changed with
prostate cancer now the leading cause. In the U.S, prostate
cancer is the second most common form of cancer for men,
behind lung cancer.
Although there has been a rise in cases, deaths from prostate cancer have dropped. In the UK, the figures for
1990 were 29 deaths in every 100,000 males. Today that figure stands at 24 deaths in every 100,000. In the U.S,
1 in 36 men will die from prostate cancer.
But Why Have Cases of Prostate Cancer Risen so Dramatically?
There are number reasons why the incidents of prostate cancer could be on the rise.
Firstly, although there have been many great advances in modern medicine, many of us continue to live unhealthy
lives. So diet and lifestyle factors may well be playing a part.
Secondly, advances in prostate cancer detection has improved, with many incidents now being found through
PSA testing which checks for the Prostate Specific Antigen within the patients blood.
Another reason may be because we are all living longer. This means that more cases of this particular form of
cancer are now being diagnosed than before.
Dr Sarah Cant, of Prostate Cancer UK, said: Although it is heartening that prostate cancer death rates appear to
have reduced over recent years, these stats reinforce our concerns that the number of men being diagnosed with
the disease is rising at an alarming rate.
With so many more men expected to be living with the disease in the future, it is more urgent than ever that
prostate cancer is higher up the nations health agenda so that men can get the world class treatment and care
they deserve.
Due to a significant legacy of underinvestment, men with prostate cancer are still faced with diagnostic tests and
treatments which are decades behind where we need to be.
Why Does Sunlight Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?
So how can we protect ourselves from prostate cancer and reduce our overall risk of being diagnosed with it
during our lifetime?
Quite simply, by getting more Vitamin D!
Vitamin D isnt actually a Vitamin, its a hormone referred to as either activated Vitamin D or calcitriol. And
getting enough of it, is crucial to our health and longevity.
A recent study by Dr. Adam Murphy, an assistant professor of urology at the Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine, found that a deficiency in Vitamin D was strongly correlated with prostate cancer.
The study examined 667 men 40 to 79 years old who were undergoing their first prostate-cancer biopsies in the
Chicago area.
The findings by Dr. Murphy were that those with a deficiency in Vitamin D were four times more likely to be
diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer than those with healthy levels of Vitamin D.
Another study which was published in the Lancet in August 2001 proved that a lack of decent sunlight exposure is
a factor in developing prostate cancer.1
The study split people into four groups depending on how much sunlight they had been previously exposed to.
The lowest quarter of the groups with the least sun exposure were shown to be three times more likely to be
diagnosed with prostate cancer.
This showed that those in the top quartile of the four groups were around 66% less likely to develop prostate
cancer, due to their regular exposure to the sunlight and the Vitamin D benefits that it provides.
In fact, according to Dr. Michael F. Hollick a medical doctor and an authority on Vitamin D, it doesnt stop there.
Vitamin D could also help to reduce the onset of many serious and chronic diseases such as heart disease,
stroke, tuberculosis, influenza, type 1 and 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, insomnia, joint pain, muscle
weakness, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and
hypertension.
How Do I know If I Am Deficient?
The truth is, you may not know as quite often there are no clear indications. Many of us have low levels of Vitamin
D and dont even know it.
Sometimes you may have some clues such as frequent infections, aches and pains or tiredness. Although of
course, any one of these could be due to many other factors.
There is only one accurate way to know for sure and that is to get a blood test from your doctor.
How Can I Get More Vitamin D?
I hope you will agree, that there is a strong correlation between correct levels of Vitamin D and our overall health
and wellbeing. A body that has lower levels of Vitamin D is more susceptible to a whole range of chronic diseases
that cut short many lives each year.
Different Forms Of Vitamin D
It is important to understand though that not all Vitamin D is created equally. The two main forms of Vitamin D
are:-
Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) Vitamin D2 is obtained via food sources.
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) Obtained via sunlight or via supplementation.
Vitamin D3 is converted into its active form around 500 times faster than D2 which makes it the clear winner
between the two.
So, lets take a moment to speak about the best ways in which we can keep our Vitamin D levels topped up and
help protect ourselves.
Sunlight
Although opinions vary on the right amount of Vitamin D we should be getting, general consensus says that
around 5,000 IU is ideal.
The sun is the best place to get our Vitamin D from. By exposing your body to the sun for around 20 minutes, your
body will produce around 10,000 to 25,000 IU.
Remember though that the exact amount can depend on a number of factors such as:-
The time of day More Vitamin D is produced during the middle of the day when there are more UVB rays
available. The UV Index ideally needs to be around 6 or 7.
Where you live in the world Those living nearer to the equator have the best of the sunshine.
The amount of skin that you expose to the sun.
The colour of your skin Lighter skinned people produce Vitamin D more quickly than darker skinned
people.
Supplementation
Its a fact that not all of us are able to get regular sunlight exposure. Many of us in the northern hemisphere do not
get sufficient levels of sun in order to generate enough Vitamin D.
If this is the case, the only real way to get a sufficient intake is to use Vitamin D supplements.
Make sure you use a good quality Vitamin D3 supplement and take around 5,000 IU per day.
You can purchase high quality Vitamin D supplements from many stores or you can purchase via the internet. We
would recommend https://www.lifeintegrativemed.com/vitamins/vitamin-d-and-k
Foods High In Vitamin D
Although you can only get adequate levels of Vitamin D from the sun or through supplementation, eating the right
foods can also provide you with an extra Vitamin D boost.
Foods that are high in Vitamin D include:-
Fatty fish such as herring, sardines, salmon and mackerel.
Fortified milk and orange juice
Fortified cereals
Eggs
Mushrooms
Cod liver oil
NOTE: If you are taking large doses of Vitamin D, it is important that you also take some Vitamin K at the same
time as this provides better simulation and will prevent Vitamin D overload.
Find Out More About Vitamin D
If you are interested in learning more about Vitamin D, you can take a look at the Vitamin D Council website at
https://www.vitamindcouncil.org which provides a wealth of information on the subject.
Sources
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/06/29/your-health/low-vitamin-d-prostate-cancer-linked.html
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2010/sep2010_The-Vitamin-D-Solution_01.htm
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/prostate/incidence/uk-prostate-cancer-incidence-
statistics
http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/incidence/commoncancers/#Twenty
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21144676
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-key-statistics
1. Luscombe C, et. al. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation: association with susceptibility and age at presentation
with prostate cancer. The Lancet, 2001;Volume 358, Issue 9282, Pages 641 642