If you're a derm or oncologist,
chances are you're probably just about maxed out on
the vitamin D debate. The avalanche of studies touting
vitamin D's cancer-blocking potential ("Good
day sunshine, goodbye supplements?" page 10) has
sun-starved patients eager to chuck their sunscreen
en masse. Yet again, docs find themselves raining on
patients' sunny parade.
The press tends to jump on studies
of the 'ice cream boosts fertility' or 'red wine slashes
CVD risk' variety, for obvious reasons. The summer timing
of the vitamin D studies has exacerbated the effect.
To be fair, none of the vitamin D studies say that the
sun's no longer bad for you. But a lot of the reports
have been wishy-washy at best. People are told sunlight's
the best way to get vitamin D, but then told just a
few minutes of sun exposure per day can increase their
skin cancer risk. Even MDs don't all agree on how much
sun is safe.
On June 21 the Canadian Cancer
Society waded in with a set of recommendations on vitamin
D. The Society says Canadians should take 1,000 IUs
of vitamin D supplements in the autumn and winter, because
of the lack of daylight in the northern hemisphere.
They also recommend that people who don't get out much
or have dark skin jack up their vitamin D intake all
year round.
Physicians will approve of the
Society's caution that "just a few minutes of unprotected
sun exposure every day could increase skin cancer risk."
They'll be less happy about anecdotal reports that patients
are cherry-picking the advice, and heading out into
the heat of the day unprotected.
Sigh. Since ice cream, red wine
and the blazing sun aren't likely to be appearing on
your prescription pad anytime soon, all you can do is
try to shine some light of your own on the vitamin D
debate and protect your patients.
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