News you can use

[Don]

Shown below is a copy of the post I made in the Canadian forum. I am making it here too because the information is as valid (and important) for the USA as it is for Canada.


Everyone "up north" should give Doug McNabb a "high five" the next time you see him because the information below vindicates his fight to advertise the ability of controlled ultraviolet exposure at an indoor tanning salon to stimulate the production of vitamin D.

You can access the link below (in the e-mail I sent congratulating Doug) to get a free copy of a great article that I am sure all of you will be able to use.


Doug:

In case you haven't seen this yet, the following article vindicates your long (and expensive) fight to advertise the fact that the controlled ultraviolet radiation exposure available at a professional indoor tanning salon is an excellent source of vitamin D-effective photons.

You can click on the link below to access a (free) copy of the article and tables.

Regards-Don

Abstract.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2009 Jan;6(1):151-73. Epub 2009 Jan 7.

Vitamin d status of clinical practice populations at higher latitudes: analysis
and applications.

Genuis SJ, Schwalfenberg GK, Hiltz MN, Vaselenak SA.

University of Alberta, Edmonton Alberta, Canada. sgenuis@ualberta.ca

BACKGROUND: Inadequate levels of vitamin D (VTD) throughout the life cycle from
the fetal stage to adulthood have been correlated with elevated risk for assorted
health afflictions. The purpose of this study was to ascertain VTD status and
associated determinants in three clinical practice populations living in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada--a locale with latitude of 53 degrees 30'N, where sun
exposure from October through March is often inadequate to generate sufficient
vitamin D. METHODS: To determine VTD status, 1,433 patients from three
independent medical offices in Edmonton had levels drawn for 25(OH)D as part of
their medical assessment between Jun 2001 and Mar 2007. The relationship between
demographic data and lifestyle parameters with VTD status was explored. 25(OH)D
levels were categorized as follows: (1) Deficient: <40 nmol/L; (2) Insufficient
(moderate to mild): 40 to <80 nmol/L; and (3) Adequate: 80-250 nmol/L. Any cases
<25 nmol/L were subcategorized as severely deficient for purposes of further
analysis. RESULTS: 240 (16.75% of the total sample) of 1,433 patients were found
to be VTD 'deficient' of which 48 (3.35% of the overall sample) had levels
consistent with severe deficiency. 738 (51.5% of the overall sample) had
'insufficiency' (moderate to mild) while only 31.75% had 'adequate' 25(OH)D
levels. The overall mean for 25(OH) D was 68.3 with SD=28.95. VTD status was
significantly linked with demographic and lifestyle parameters including skin
tone, fish consumption, milk intake, sun exposure, tanning bed use and
nutritional supplementation. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of hypovitaminosis-D
was found in three clinical practice populations living in Edmonton. In view of
the potential health sequelae associated with widespread VTD inadequacy,
strategies to facilitate translation of emerging epidemiological information into
clinical intervention need to be considered in order to address this public
health issue. A suggested VTD supplemental intake level is presented for
consideration.

Link to access a "free" copy of the full article.

Vitamin D Status of Clinical Practice Populations at Higher Latitudes: Analysis and Applications

A key paragraph in the article. [Note: You will find Table 5 & 6 especially interesting!]

Lifestyle characteristics as they relate to 25(OH)D level are presented in Table 4 and outcomes are consistent with findings in the literature. Fish ingestion, VTD supplementation, fish oil use, regular consumption of VTD fortified milk, tanning bed use, and level of sun exposure were strongly correlated with 25(OH)D results. With milk consumption, however, preferred levels were realized only with ingestion of more than two glasses per day (both adjusted p<0.001). Supplemental VTD intake of up to 400 IU (often the current recommended intake) had a modest effect on 25(OH)D values with major gains in VTD sufficiency achieved only when supplemental ingestion exceeded 400 IU per day (all adjusted p<0.0001). Weekly fish consumers had higher 25(OH)D levels than fish abstainers (adjusted p=0.0021) and periodic or regular use of tanning beds also resulted in higher VTD values (both adjusted p<0.0001). As expected, 25(OH)D values rose with increasing sun exposure (all adjusted p<0.0001). Participants not using VTD or fish oil supplementation had lower mean 25(OH)D levels while those using tanning beds and high sun exposure had superior VTD values. (Table 5)