Another medical flip/flop: sun = good, sunscreen = bad

[Dr Mordrid]

More evidence that todays dogma is very often on tomorrows junk heap;

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050521/D8A7MPFG0.html

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

But too much of the pill variety can cause a dangerous buildup of calcium in the body. The government says 2,000 IUs is the upper daily limit for anyone over a year old.

Hmm.. I take 2 coral calcium capsules daily which contain 5000IU of vitamin D..

[KvHagedorn]

After looking around, it seems 5000IU per day is not really excessive. 50,000IU could be dangerous, however. The type of vitamin D in my supplement is ergocalciferol (D2) which is less potent than cholecalciferol (cholecalciferol is D3, or the naturally occuring kind gotten from sunlight exposure.) They really should not refer to it as simply "the pill variety," since D3 is also available as a pill supplement.

Two of the better articles found:

http://www.cholecalciferol-council.com/pharmocology.shtml

http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/27/vitamin_d_quiz.htm

According to both these articles, "Current studies indicate one needs about 4,000 units of cholecalciferol a day to meet the bodies needs for vitamin D."

One of the things I noticed in reading is that the levels of sun exposure needed for D3 production are not terribly great. Most people could get enough walking to their cars in short sleeves on a sunny day in summer.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm a minimalists in all things medical. I certainly would NEVER self-medicate with vitamins or any "diet supplements", such as calcium, iron, cobalt, iodine or other trace elements unless it was proven I had a gross deficiency. I'm a believer in a good, balanced diet of healthy food, which will offer all the required nutrition.

Nor would I throw sun blocks on the junk heap, either today or tomorrow. Sunburn is a horrible disease and sunblocks are essential to avoid it, in many cases. However, there is a world of difference between sunburn, which can cause extensive third degree burning over vast areas, and measured sun exposure, especially in these days of ozone depletion. Melanomas are almost certainly a result of dermal abuse, usually sunburn, with an incubation of 10-40 years. Anyone eschewing sun creams on kids in the mountains or on the beach may be condemning them to a premature death. OTOH, I agree that mild exposure is certainly beneficial provided that it is stopped at the very first signs of mild itching or reddening.

I have not worn any sun block for years, but my solar exposure is intermittent and I never place myself into a situation where there is a risk of burning, despite the intense insolation here.

[KvHagedorn]

I'm a minimalists in all things medical. I certainly would NEVER self-medicate with vitamins or any "diet supplements", such as calcium, iron, cobalt, iodine or other trace elements unless it was proven I had a gross deficiency. I'm a believer in a good, balanced diet of healthy food, which will offer all the required nutrition.

And, not to sound cruel, but you did develop cancer. I want to avoid this if I possibly can. I am not a supplement nut. All I take is a multivitamin and the coral calcium daily, I drink a protein shake once a day, and I keep thoroughly hydrated. I have been doing this for over a year and feel only stronger and healthier. My allergies, which used to be pretty bad, are barely noticable now. I am as wary of taking too much of these things as too little, but I am aware that I don't know everything about it, and even doctors and nutritionists often disagree. I know that sometimes there is no way for me to eat a nice, well-balanced meal, so I just want to make sure all the holes are plugged. Oh well, we do the best we can.

[Brian Ellis]

Yes, I have cancer for nearly a decade, a total A/V block and have had two strokes. I have never taken enough exercise and am overweight. I have had the stress of being CEO of a small corp for 25 years and a director of another for 10, with long hours, 7 days/week. So I consider I'm pretty lucky to be still active at 73 and the oldest survivor on the male side of my family. My elder brother had that crown, when he died at 71. Yet I've outlived colleagues who have jogged, swam, gymned or otherwise exercised daily AND taken all their supplements regularly.

Cancer and any other illness may be partly genetic, but the rest may be bad luck or there may be confounding factors (tobacco, alcohol, exposure to noxious substances, such as vehicle exhausts, sunburn etc.). I don't believe that taking a vitamin/supplement pill a day or 10,000 such pills a day will increase your lifespan or your quality of life, on condition that you have no deficiencies, which you should not have with a reasonably balanced diet. In fact, I believe it is more likely to shorten your life because you are asking your body to eliminate the excess, thereby overworking your organs. If you feel better, it is because spending your money on fancy pills induces the placebo effect. The more you spend, the better you feel. Why coral calcium, for example? What's so special about coral? The calcium is in the form of calcium carbonate, aka chalk, limestone, marble etc. IF you NEED more calcium, have a glass of milk a day or a yoghurt. However, it is unlikely you do unless you have a calcium deficiency. If you take in too much calcium, the minimal effect will be incresed calcareous deposits on your teeth, but you may be storing up a painful osteoarthritis for yourself in later life. If you do really need more calcium, as proven by analyses, take generic calcium lactate tablets, more easily anionically metabolised and cheaper.

Don't play Russian roulette with your medecine cabinet. Other than an occasional (and I mean that, not every day or even every week) paracetamol or equivalent for a headache or a stiff neck, self-medication is dangerous. It is not for nothing that snake-oil vendors and makers, including the whole pharma industry, have become stinking rich on the credulity of those who take their products for no reason.

Moderation is the keyword.

[Dr Mordrid]

And with my excess of Nordic blood I'd be bloody crazy to overexpose myself to the sun. I'd be redder than a cooked lobster with even a short exposure under the wrong conditions

Supplements for me....

Dr. Mordrid

[az]

I absolutely agree with Brian (funnily enough he's the oldest one here and I'm one of the youngest) and I really think the key to health really is happiness, whereever you may find it (and yes, this can be a medication that's pretty hard to come by - but it's also better than anything money can buy).

AZ

[Dr Mordrid]

My health is Ok but I'm still bothered by last years hand surgery & may need another to remove scar tissue pressing on nerves etc., have pain from my old leg injury etc. Then there's the asthma & allergies and my ever present weight problem

Fortunately the rest of me seems good what with my very low total cholesterol (sub-100 to 120 with an HDL ratio of <2.5; "normal" is about 4), low blood pressure (108/68 last exam) etc.

In these regards my Dr. hates me because his numbers are worse even though he's built like a toothpick and a vegetarian. I'm very much not either

What really keeps me going is my family; Margie, Erik, the older kids and grandkids etc. When I have my bad days where I can't hardly use the bad hand or walk without pain they're what keep me grounded.

Dr. Mordrid

[Technoid]

...

In these regards my Dr. hates me because his numbers are worse even though he's built like a toothpick and a vegetarian. I'm very much not either

....
Dr. Mordrid

Well that busts that myth about vegetarians being helthier

[xortam]

Well that busts that myth about vegetarians being helthier

You really can't draw such conclusions from such a small sampling.

I've been told that the best thing that you should do for yourself as far as exercise is stretch. Stretching apparently will provide you with a longer life due to it's benefits in flexibility, blood circulation, stress reduction, etc.. Flexibility will help prevent falls which seem to be the beginning of the end for many people. I've heard of many people dying of other illnesses but it's the bad fall that takes them out for the finish. You don't want to land up in bed unable to get about because all sorts of bad things happen at that point.

[Dr Mordrid]

The Dr. and I are pretty much convinced I just inherited set of genes that keep my cholesterol extremely low. This of course also prevents my arteries from clogging and that helps the blood pressure.

To be sure other factors are involved since I do lift weights, resistance exercises and as much walking as I can manage given the bad leg.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jammrock]

The Dr. and I are pretty much convinced I just inherited set of genes that keep my cholesterol extremely low. This of course also prevents my arteries from clogging and that helps the blood pressure.

To be sure other factors are involved since I do lift weights, resistance exercises and as much walking as I can manage given the bad leg.

Dr. Mordrid

I've traditionally had low cholesterol and high blood pressure, too. And I'm also of Scandinavian decent. Though I got enough of my dad's genes not to be fair skinned. Though I found that when I lifted weights and excersied a lot when I was younger I had worse blood pressure than now, when I rarely lift weights and and excersize less. Guess all the mussle mass was putting too much pressure on the blood vessels

[Brian Ellis]

Well that busts that myth about vegetarians being helthier

I have three friends who are vegans (at least, one isn't quite, as he will eat fish). All three are younger than I, but all three are generally in worse general condition. The fish-eater one started his life of misery (especially for his partner) because he suffered from piles. He believed someone who told him that they were because he ate dairy products, eggs and red meat, so he went the whole hog. He still has piles that require occasional medical treatment and very high blood pressure, requiring three SuperAce tablets/day (I take ½ a tablet of the same per day to keep me under 125/90).

I agree that these anecdotic examples prove nothing at all, except that vegetarianism is no guaranteed way to be any healthier than omnivorism.