Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20200515

a30 health
Friday 15 May 2020
The Sunny Side

By Carlos M Viana, CCN, possible, wear protective the health of my family and
OMD clothing and sunscreen. clients, I read many stud-
In the Caribbean Sea, on Also influenced by the sun ies that said an estimated
the sunny side of the world, is melatonin, a hormone 1 billion people worldwide,
sits the ABC islands, Aruba, that naturally makes you across all ethnicities and
Bonaire and Curacao. Just sleepy. Melatonin levels rise age groups have a vitamin
twelve degrees latitude when the sun goes down to D deficiency! This ‘pan-
south, is the greatest con- help you sleep. Levels then demic’ of vitamin D defi-
centration of sunlight on drop, when the sun rises, ciency has mainly been
earth, the equator. In lati- waking you up. Insomnia attributed to lifestyle and
tude, each degree is ap- and irregular sleep patterns environmental factors that
proximately 69 miles/111 tend improve in the sum- reduce exposure to sun-
kilometers apart, this mer when we are exposed light, which is required for
means lots of sunshine and to more sunlight. Are you ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced
ultraviolet (UV) light on our guilty of staying up late with vitamin D production in the
Islands. artificial lighting, or do you skin. Dark skin absorbs more
work late shifts, thus mess- UVB in the melanin of their
Sunlight encourages the ing up your body’s natural skin than light skin does. This
production of white blood sleep cycle? If melatonin means more sun exposure
cells to boost the immune levels are not working cor- is required to produce the
system and fight infection. rectly, it affects your body’s same amount of vitamin D.
UV rays from the sun act ability to make vitamin D. Wow! Like many people, I
as a natural antiseptic, Vitamin D is called the thought dark skin would be
helping to combat viruses “sunshine vitamin” be- more effective in produc-
and bacteria. A little UV cause it can be made in ing Vitamin D not less.
light eases common skin the skin from exposure to I decided to test some of
problems including acne, sunlight. We assume that myclients Vitamin D levels,
dermatitis and psoriasis. those of us, who live in choosing a variety of ages,
Most skin complaints are sunny climates, have ad- sex and body types of those sufficient amounts of D2 up to 15,000 IU’s/week for
caused by over-sensitivi- equate vitamin D produc- only living in Aruba, where from our foods anymore women and 20,000 IU’s/
ty. The sun’s UV rays help tion. However, when we we have strong sunlight. with modern farming and week for men of a high
to combat this sensitivity. make assumptions, we’re When we received the re- altered food conditions. Vi- quality vitamin D3; then
Not seeing sunlight for pro- limiting ourselves to a nar- sults that both shocked and tamin D is an independent testing again after three to
longed periods, like during row view of things.Vitamin humbled me;all of us came risk factor for premature six months for adjustment.
grey skies of winter can D is vital both for healthy out vitamin D deficient! The aging. Emerging research Doing this, I have achieved
cause Seasonal Affected bones and preventing rick- initial test was just a small supports the possible role positive results.
Disorder (SAD), where the ets, a childhood disorder selection of people. Now I of vitamin D in prevention Get The Point! Making as-
person can feel “sad” or in which bones become recommend checking not of cancer, heart disease, sumptions is natural, but
depressed. The sun even soft and prone to fractures only for Vitamin D, but also- fractures and falls, autoim- inefficient. By not using all
promotes the release of and deformity. Another Cortisol, which shows possi- mune diseases, influenza, the tools available to be
proteins, which makes your benefit from Vitamin D – it ble deficiency of melatonin type-2 diabetes, and de- sure what is really happen-
body’s use of oxygen more fights viruses naturally. Vi- levels, to see if melatonin is pression. ing, the assumption can
effective, helping heart at- tamin D is actually a group affecting vitamin D and if Health care providers have cost more in the long run.
tack patients survive lon- of hormones responsible for supplementation is need- begun to increase their Contact us about testing
ger. However, you can enhancing absorption of ed. This isespecially impor- recommendations for vita- your vitamin D levels so we
have too much of a good calcium, iron, magnesium, tant for peoplein climates min D3supplementation to can show you how to ad-
thing, so limit your exposure phosphate and zinc. In hu- where the sun doesn’t least 1000 IU per day.Your just your lifestyle and if you
to no more than 15 minutes mans, the most important shine long and strong, but body is able to convert D3 need a little “sunshine vi-
a day before applying a compounds in this group also here on the sunny side. into D2 if needed. Person- tamin” supplementation.
sun cream, and do not go are vitamin D3 and vitamin Most oil-rich fish such as ally, I recommend testing Meanwhile, get outside
out in the hottest part of D2. salmon, mackerel, and her- your vitamin D status first, and soak up some sun. We
the day, between 11:00am In my constant search to ring contain some vitamin then with results, when de- are so blessed to live on the
and 2:00pm. If this is not stay current and improve D3, but we are not getting ficient supplementing with sunny side of the “street.”q