The Cancer Research UK Vitamin D and Skin Cancer Prevention Program recommends:

•     the amount of time in the sun that you need to make enough vitamin D is typically short and less than the amount that makes skin redden or burn
•     it should be enough to regularly go outside for a matter of minutes around the middle of the day without sunscreen
•     when it comes to sun exposure, little and often is best, and the more skin that is exposed, the greater the chance of making enough vitamin D before burning
•     people should get to know their own skin to understand how long they can spend outside before risking sunburn under different conditions
•     by taking steps to avoid burning, people can achieve a balance between reducing the risk of skin cancer and enjoying the beneficial effects of the sun

Cancer Research UK is also launching a new research study to determine the amount of sun exposure needed by skin type so they can offer people of all skin colours the best possible advice about how much sun is safe for them(3).

The Vitamin D Society supports researchers and organizations who promote a balanced sun exposure message in North America and encourages public health organizations to re-evaluate their sun safety programs to help promote the benefits of optimal vitamin D levels.

The Vitamin D Society reminds Canadians to check their Vitamin D levels through a 25(OH)D blood serum test (ask for your test score) to ensure you are between the optimal levels of 100 – 150 nmol/L as recommended by over 40 of the top Vitamin D researchers at GrassrootsHealth(4).

About the Vitamin D Society:
The Vitamin D Society is a Canadian non-profit group organized to: increase awareness of the many health conditions strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency; encourage Canadians to be proactive in protecting their health and have their vitamin D levels tested annually; and help fund valuable vitamin D research. The Vitamin D Society recommends Canadians achieve and maintain optimal 25(OH)D blood levels between 100 – 150 nmol/L.

For further information, please contact:

http://www.vitamindsociety.org

Vitamin D would be essential if it did nothing else. But researchers have discovered that it’s active in many tissues and cells besides bone and controls an enormous number of genes, including some associated with cancers, autoimmune disease, and infection. Hardly a month goes by without news about the risks of vitamin D deficiency or about a potential role for the vitamin in warding off diseases, including breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and even schizophrenia. In June 2008, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that low blood levels of vitamin D were associated with a doubled risk of death overall and from cardiovascular causes in women and men (average age 62) referred to a cardiac center for coronary angiography. At a scientific meeting in May 2008, Canadian researchers reported that vitamin D deficiency was linked to poorer outcomes in women with breast cancer. And a large study of aging in the Netherlands published in the May 2008 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry found a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and depression in women and men ages 65 to 95.

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