Getting enough Vitamin D via sunlight

[CapraIbex]

Google: "sunlight+vitamin d"

google Melanoma

Google: "sunlight+vitamin d+moderation"

[CaptHaddock]

True but perhaps I'm wrong but I think there are other important benefits of sunlight that you can't get from supplements, particularly around MOOD.

You know we all take risks every day just getting out of bed.

We all live with acceptable levels of risk.

We drive cars. We cross streets. Some of us drive motorcycles (personally I feel that is too risky for me so such decisions are personal).

What I'm asserting is that based on what I know now, admitting I am no specialist on that, getting limited amount of sunlight for it's benefits is a sensible thing for MOST people to do given that there always at least small risks in doing ANYTHING.

Neither of us can estimate the risk level associated with sun exposure at 13 degrees of lattitude on white skin. I don't think I can compare it to other risks like crossing a street (which I do in Thailand) or driving a car (which I think is too risky to do in Thailand.) I don't find an assessment of the risk for white skin like mine in BKK, but I do find this:

A person in the southern United States has a 50% greater risk for getting basal cell cancer than a person in the northern United States. The risk for squamous cell cancer is four times greater in the southern U.S. The closer a person lives to the equator, the greater the cancer risk from sun exposure. The risk for skin cancer also increases if you are exposed to intense sun year after year over your lifetime.

http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/melanoma-guide/sunburn-and-skin-cancer-topic-overview

The Souther US is sub-tropical. Miami is at 25 degrees lattitude vs. 42 degrees for New York and 13 for BKK. I don't know whether the risk grows linearly as you approach the equator or faster than that, but it would seem the risk here is much more than in North America, at least for us white skins.

So, if I can't estimate a risk closely, I would try to overestimate it particularly if I could avoid it. Hence my recommendation: if a blood test shows a Vitamin D deficiency take supplements and test again later, otherwise don't take them. Either way, stay out of the sun.

[Jingthing]

Fair enough.

In my case I'm sure I'm not getting enough sun, tropics or not.

People need to make their own decisions on such matters and I'm glad I started this thread to get some of this stuff out there so people can make better informed decisions.

I find these health topics often attract people with "true believer" positions who try to convert others to their POV.

I find in real life, things are never that black and white.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Jingthing

[CapraIbex]

Google: "sunlight+vitamin d+moderation+common sense"

[Jingthing]

Still can anyone answer this? If 10 minutes is adequate in England in midday sun how many minutes is equivalent in Thailand at 330 pm?

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited November 19, 2014 by Jingthing

[CapraIbex]

Still can anyone answer this? If 10 minutes is adequate in England in midday sun how many minutes is equivalent in Thailand at 330 pm?

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Google: "sun+exposure+thailand vs europe"

[CapraIbex]

Google: "sunlight+vitamin d"

google Melanoma

Google: "sunlight+vitamin d+moderation"

http://www.doctoryourself.com/holick.html

"...casual sun exposure actually decreases your risk of melanoma..."

[Jingthing]

Still can anyone answer this? If 10 minutes is adequate in England in midday sun how many minutes is equivalent in Thailand at 330 pm?

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Google: "sun+exposure+thailand vs europe"

Darn! Y'all are not going to do the research for me? I want my money back!

[doublephil]

The sun needs to be at an angle of at least 45 degrees or higher to have enough strength for the body to start making Vit D. That is no problem here in Thailand - except very early morning or very late afternoon. The higher the angle - the stronger the sun's rays and the less time required in the sun. Minimum time for high angle sun should be 10-15 minutes - if not wearing a shirt - but you need at least 30 minutes if only your face, arms, lower legs are exposed. The body auto-regulates Vit D production so it shuts down production once it has made enough - that's the wonder of nature. Vit D is essential for life and good health - and most Western people are deficient - which is a major factor in many chronic illnesses.

Limited exposure to sunlight for 10-30 minutes a day - and it doesn't need to be all at the same time - it can be a few minutes here and a few minutes there - will provide adequate Vit D - and carries almost zero risk of getting skin cancer - its simply not enough UV to cause such problems. There is far too much scaremongering by the medical profession + pharmaceutical industry - because sales of sun blocks, creams, lotions, etc is a multi-billion dollar business - from which lots of people rake in loads of money - so they perpetuate the myth about skin cancer

[Jingthing]

Skin cancer isn't a myth of course ... but I think that the problem of Vitamin D deficiency is being raised more, and properly so, and the natural solution for that is MODERATE sun exposure.

[connda]

Don't take your shirt off to get vitamin D in Chiang Mai. The expat Puritanical Patrol will stop you if they see you shirtless and give you an earful (speaking from experience). lol

Edited November 19, 2014 by connda

[beammeup]

Sunlight is free, There is more ozone at the equator so more protection in Thailand then aus, Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight as your eyes tell your brain how much hormone (melatonin?, not sure ) to protect your skin from sun. Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day.

Edited November 19, 2014 by beammeup

[Kitsune]

For me it's 30 minutes, normally clothed every day.

As for supplement they increase risk of dying by 20%

[richard peters]

US research in 1990's proved conclusively that Influenza is a symptom of Vitamin-D defficiency, which is why there are less flu cases in the summer months. Vitamin-D is also beneficial for cancer prevention and many other ailments, but doctors are sometimes not aware of these facts.

[Kitsune]

US research in 1990's proved conclusively that Influenza is a symptom of Vitamin-D defficiency, which is why there are less flu cases in the summer months. Vitamin-D is also beneficial for cancer prevention and many other ailments, but doctors are sometimes not aware of these facts.

Vitamin D pills cause nutrition imbalance, are associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, raise bad cholesterol, increase the incidence of kidney stones and other kidney and autoimmune diseases.

[beammeup]

The half life of Vit D from sun UV is 6 weeks. 1-3 weeks from supplements according to wikivitamin

[MyFriend You]

Apparently not, I live in the sun, but my Doc in Bangkok put me on Vitamin D 50,000 U once a week, it appears as you get older, you expel more than you take in naturally - I drink whole milk, still last week after my physical, she put me on Vitamin D............must be careful though, overdose can also cause problems with other organs........

[richard peters]

The US research into Vitamin-D was very intensiely conducted over 2-years and came about after a doctor noticed that the patients (prescribed Vitamin-D) in a psychiatric ward were the only ones not to succumb to Influenza during a serious epidemic. - The benefits of sensible amounts of Vitamin-D were very apparent. (See Also, - www.naturalnews.com)

[super22k]

Masuk. In England we called Rickets the" Dutch disease" because their kids got so little sunlight and rickets was the outcome. Everytime I have been to Amsterdam it has poured with rain.

Possum1931. Kenny Lynch was an English singer who had a hit song titled"Up on the roof" in the fifties or sixties. He is still around.Maybe,because he takes Vitamin D. Keep smiling its good for the health.

[CapraIbex]

Sunlight is free, There is more ozone at the equator so more protection in Thailand then aus, Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight as your eyes tell your brain how much hormone (melatonin?, not sure ) to protect your skin from sun. Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day.

"Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight..."

Google: "sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses"

"Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day."

Google: "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body"

[ignis]

Sunlight is free, There is more ozone at the equator so more protection in Thailand then aus, Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight as your eyes tell your brain how much hormone (melatonin?, not sure ) to protect your skin from sun. Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day.

"Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight..."

Google: "sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses"

"Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day."

Google: "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body"

?????????????

Google

Did you try ?

"sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses" = 4 results about Vintage sunglasses

as for Google: "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body"

comes up with -

No results found for "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body".

some/many people cannot fine when searching so ask on here, above = why people ask... as often re search results come up with something other than what there searching for.

Maybe different results depending on what Google you use ? No idea, myself always use Google Thailand in English

Edited November 20, 2014 by ignis

[fvw53]

I found information at the UK NHS website useful

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/vitamin-D-sunlight.aspx

[Kiwiscoot]

In Thailand you can never have to little Vitamin D with all the sunshine. You can get serious poisoning from taking Vit D supplements destroying your liver. Vitamin D deficiency is only a problem in Northern countries like North America and Europe.

[Jingthing]

In Thailand you can never have to little Vitamin D with all the sunshine.

...

Yes you can if you don't go out in the sun! Duh.

[cracker1]

There is an excellent book written about this subject by Ian Wishart. I think it is called " Vitamin D"

From memory it recommends about 20 min per day.

[CapraIbex]

Sunlight is free, There is more ozone at the equator so more protection in Thailand then aus, Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight as your eyes tell your brain how much hormone (melatonin?, not sure ) to protect your skin from sun. Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day.

"Do not wear sun glasses when exposed to direct sunlight..."

Google: "sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses"

"Vit D is stored in your body so you don't need exposure every day."

Google: "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body"

?????????????

Google

Did you try ?

"sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses" = 4 results about Vintage sunglasses

as for Google: "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body"

comes up with -

No results found for "for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body".

some/many people cannot fine when searching so ask on here, above = why people ask... as often re search results come up with something other than what there searching for.

Maybe different results depending on what Google you use ? No idea, myself always use Google Thailand in English

sunlight+uv rays+sunglasses

https://www.google.com/search?q=sunlight%2Buv+rays%2Bsunglasses

About 342,000 results (0.44 seconds)

for+how+long+is+vitamin d+stored+in+your+body

https://www.google.com/search?q=for%2Bhow%2Blong%2Bis%2Bvitamin+d%2Bstored%2Bin%2Byour%2Bbody

About 2,090,000 results (0.53 seconds)

"...use Google Thailand in English"

same here.

how+to+use+google+search engine+correctly

https://www.google.com/search?q=how%2Bto%2Buse%2Bgoogle%2Bsearchengine%2Bcorrectly#q=how%2Bto%2Buse%2Bgoogle%2Bsearch+engine%2Bcorrectly&spell=1

About 9,860,000 results (0.22 seconds)

[muskoka]

I am surprised no-one is discussing what form of Vitamin D supplement is best. I have read a lot about Vitamin D the past few years and it seems to me that Vitamin D3 is by far the recommended type. Some brief quotes and links below.

Doug

Many supplements contain vitamin D as vitamin D2 or calciferol. It's derived from irradiated fungus. Because this is not the form of vitamin D naturally made by your body, WebMD nutritionist Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, recommends using the D3 form for those taking vitamin D supplements. http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-what-kind-of-vitamin-d-is-best

http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-what-kind-of-vitamin-d-is-best

The term "vitamin D" refers to several different forms of this vitamin. Two forms are important in humans: vitamin D2, which is made by plants, and vitamin D3, which is made by human skin when exposed to sunlight. Foods may be fortified with vitamin D2 or D3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-d/background/hrb-20060400

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-d/background/hrb-20060400

There are two types of vitamin D supplements available for over-the-counter purchase (vitamin D2 and vitamin D3). Vitamin D3 is the type that most experts believe should be utilized in clinical practice (Wolpowitz & Gilchrest, 2006). Vitamin D2 is also known as "ergocalciferol," and vitamin D3 is also known as "cholecalciferol." This is important for patients who have purchased a dietary supplement that does not indicate the specific type of vitamin D in the product by number but have listed the scientific name. Most experts now believe that the only form that should be purchased is vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is also very acceptable, but in the author’s opinion, most individuals should switch to D3. There is a plethora of logical reasons for advocating the use of vitamin D3 over vitamin D2 dietary supplements (Wolpowitz, & Gilchrest, 2006), including: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589256_4

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589256_4

[canman]

The sun needs to be at an angle of at least 45 degrees or higher to have enough strength for the body to start making Vit D. That is no problem here in Thailand - except very early morning or very late afternoon. The higher the angle - the stronger the sun's rays and the less time required in the sun. Minimum time for high angle sun should be 10-15 minutes - if not wearing a shirt - but you need at least 30 minutes if only your face, arms, lower legs are exposed. The body auto-regulates Vit D production so it shuts down production once it has made enough - that's the wonder of nature. Vit D is essential for life and good health - and most Western people are deficient - which is a major factor in many chronic illnesses.

Limited exposure to sunlight for 10-30 minutes a day - and it doesn't need to be all at the same time - it can be a few minutes here and a few minutes there - will provide adequate Vit D - and carries almost zero risk of getting skin cancer - its simply not enough UV to cause such problems. There is far too much scaremongering by the medical profession + pharmaceutical industry - because sales of sun blocks, creams, lotions, etc is a multi-billion dollar business - from which lots of people rake in loads of money - so they perpetuate the myth about skin cancer

Good points. Sun exposure is not the problem, sunburn is. Skin cancer is more prevelant in the office worker who goes to the beach on the weekend and gets burned. People such as outside labourers and farmers who maintain a tan through their work and have far more sun exposure than the office worker have less incidence of skin cancer.

[h90]

In Thailand you can never have to little Vitamin D with all the sunshine. You can get serious poisoning from taking Vit D supplements destroying your liver. Vitamin D deficiency is only a problem in Northern countries like North America and Europe.

A year ago was an article in the newspaper about Vitamin D problems in Thailand as many people don't get any sun out of being afraid of getting brown.

[canman]

Anyone here taking Vit D supplements. I did try them many years ago when working in the northern Norway winter and found they gave me extremely vivid and strange dreams.