The Sun And Milk - Good Or Bad

Hello All,

I haven’t had time to write a newsletter for a couple of weeks now so I thought I would treat you to two subjects today. The first regarding the sun was drafted a couple of weeks ago when it was quite topical (or should that be ‘tropical’?!), and the second written today following a number of questions on the issue.

Is Sun Exposure Really "Deadly" as the Media Would Have You Believe?  Or Can Regular Sunshine Give You a Better Body and Health?

-the sun's "deadly rays" or "healthy rays"?

One thing that never made sense to me over the years was how the media and other sources have always tried to portray sun exposure as "the sun's deadly rays". It's as if they would have you believe that we need to live in caves and never see the sun to prevent cancer and stay in good health.

But this is absurd if you think about it... the sun is THE provider of all life on earth. Without the sun, everything on earth would die.

Throughout the majority of human existence (with the exception of the last few decades), humans have always spent more time outdoors than indoors. Nowadays however, most of us are trapped inside offices all week long and might only get out into the sun once a week, if that.

I've been doing a lot of reading and research over the last couple of years regarding sun exposure, cancer, vitamin D levels, etc. This subject of the sun and natural production of vitamin D can fill entire books, so I'll try to summarize my opinions and what I've learned in the past few years through a lot of my reading.

Don't worry, I'm not ignoring the fact that overexposure to the sun CAN cause problems, including cancer... but we need to also consider the fact that underexposure to the sun can have problems as well.

Let's look at a few points to consider:

1. Non-consistent sun exposure and infrequent SUNBURNS is the major cause of damage to the skin and increased risk of cancer... Think about your typical person that sits inside an office all week long without ever seeing the sun, and then gets FRIED at the pool or the beach on the weekend. THIS is where the damage occurs.

2. Regular consistent small amounts of exposure to the sun (without burning) can actually have a protective effect on the skin, increases healthy Vitamin D levels in the body, and can improve mood, help depression, and dozens of other benefits.  Each individual's skin pigmentation determines what amount of sun exposure they can safely obtain without doing more harm than good.

For example, a very fair-skinned person with a far northern heritage might only be able to get 10-15 minutes of sun exposure over the majority of the body during peak hours before it does more harm than good.  However, someone with darker skin and a heritage that originated closer to the equator might be able to get much longer periods of regular sun exposure without doing more harm than good.

3. Increasing Vitamin D levels from regular small doses of sunshine can actually decrease cancer risk. Vitamin D itself seems to have a protective effect through various processes in the body.

4. This one is interesting and deserves some thought -- According to Dr William Grant, a Vitamin D researcher, cancer rates in those living at high latitudes such as Iceland are approximately 4 TIMES the cancer rates of those living at lower latitudes in the tropics.  Hmm, yet those people living in the tropics are getting MUCH higher levels of those so-called "deadly sun rays"... but they are also producing higher levels of Vitamin D on average too.

5. Vitamin D is actually converted into a hormone in our bodies and regulates hundreds of processes in the body, and is WAY MORE important to almost every single aspect of your health than most people realise. There is even evidence that due to the regulation of so many hormonal processes in our bodies, producing enough Vitamin D in your body can even help with fat loss, muscle building, blood sugar control, and hundreds of other factors.

6. It is hard to obtain enough Vitamin D from dietary sources alone (egg yolks, meats, and fatty fish are good sources, but still relatively small). The best utilized source of Vitamin D is what we produce in our bodies from moderate regular sun exposure without burning.

7. An antioxidant-rich diet can help to protect the skin (to an extent) from damage if you get too much sun exposure. This means that getting lots of antioxidants from things such as various teas (green, black, white, rooibos, yerba mate, chamomile, etc), various berries, fruits, vegetables, beta carotene, nuts, olive oil, etc, etc can help to protect your skin.

8. Another point that proves that irregular burning is the major cause of damage and not regular small doses of sunshine... Rates of skin cancer are typically higher in areas of the body that get irregular sun and occasional burning as opposed to areas of the body that have received consistent sun for your entire life. Notice how more cancer is often found on the back and chest (places that get irregular sun and more burning) vs the back of the neck or the forearms (which get consistent regular sun for most people our entire lives).  There are exceptions to everything, but this seems to be a common trend.

9.  I've come across studies over the last few years that indicated skin cancer rates are higher among indoor office workers compared to outdoor workers. This is yet another interesting trend... it basically supports the conclusion that being underexposed to sunlight most of the time (working inside an office all week long) and then getting infrequent overexposure to the sun is a lot more problematic compared to an outdoor worker that gets regular daily sun exposure. Of course, the indoor worker can always avoid this problem by getting outside for 10-20 minutes daily during breaks to get those protective small daily doses of sunshine that we've been talking about here.

10. Think about this issue in terms of common sense -- Don't you feel a heck of a lot better and more energetic when you've at least been out in the sun for 20 or 30 minutes in a day rather than being stuck inside all day?

So what's the best way to do this in a healthy way while minimizing sun overexposure risk?

a. In the winter your vitamin D levels may fall to dangerously low levels if you go for several months without getting any sun.  In winter, since your body will not be producing enough Vitamin D from the sun, you need to make sure to increase your intake in your diet... as I mentioned, fatty fish, egg yolks, and meats are some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D.

b. In the spring, try to start with just small periods in the sun such as 10-15 minutes/day.  Make sure to try to NEVER get sunburn!  Gradual small doses of sunshine over a large part of your body almost daily helps your body produce the most beneficial and protective Vitamin D levels.

c. Avoid extended periods of overexposure to the sun on large portions of your body... If you're going to be out for several hours or an entire day in the sun, you'll still need to make sure to cover up appropriately (based on your individual skin pigmentation and sensitivity) to prevent burning and skin damage... remember that we're talking about regular small doses of sunshine that is beneficial, not entire days out in the sun without covering up.

d. Load up on antioxidant-rich foods daily to help prevent free radical damage and protect your skin.

e.  Lastly, I'm not a doctor, so many of the points in this article are my opinions based on years of reading and research. Make sure to consult with your doctor on your individual characteristics and how this relates to sun exposure and vitamin D.

And now to answer your questions regarding milk…

Is milk good for you or not?

"But my mum told me to drink my milk!?"

One of the most controversial events that happens in my office all the time is the reduction or complete elimination of all dairy products from my client's meal plans (and yes this includes children as well).

Something just like this happened last week, but almost started a minor welterweight boxing event in my office. This particular mother could not understand why I was telling her to get her children to stop drinking so much milk when everyone else (including other health professionals) was telling her just the opposite.

So I did what any good nutritionist would do, rolled up my sleeves, and made the following statements:

1. Americans drink the most milk of any other country, yet still have the highest rate of osteoporosis.

2. Pasteurization kills off all the necessary digestive enzymes in the milk. (This is why so many people are now suffering from lactose intolerance).

3. Pasteurization also makes the major part of the calcium contained in milk insoluble, in other words making 50% of milk's calcium unusable by the body (contributing to the high rate of osteoporosis).

4. Milk sugar (lactose) converts into sugar that your body uses very quickly, leading to blood sugar highs and lows and an up and down energy rollercoaster ride for you.

How could this all be true? Isn't milk supposed to do a body good? Well, yes it does, but milk was really only intended to be consumed in its natural state (unpasteurized). Sound scary? Many states in America sell raw milk in their grocery stores without any health problems to their customers and most organic farmers will ONLY drink milk if it's unpasteurized (because they know milk is best left in its natural state).

The other fact we need to consider is that most cows are being given an excess of growth hormone just to keep them producing massive amounts of milk. This, in turn, makes them sick, at which time they are given antibiotics. The growth hormone and antibiotics get into their blood stream and then into the milk they produce. Who drinks this chemical laden milk? We do! (Maybe you're starting to consider whether you should).

The next big concern is "How will I get enough Calcium?" As mentioned above, most of the Calcium in milk is not absorbed by the body. More calcium is absorbed from foods such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli, sardines (with bones preferably) and salmon. It makes sense that more calcium come from greens since cows preferably eat grass and they have a lot of calcium inside their bodies (Please don't eat grass. This really only works for cows).

If reducing your risk for osteoporosis is your goal, do the #1 activity that prevents this debilitating disease: Exercise! Weight bearing exercise has been shown to be the #1 way to prevent osteoporosis. Putting small stresses on your bones via strength training helps to re-build them stronger. No one, and I mean no one, should be neglecting to do some exercise in their life.

So what options did I give this particular mother and every parent and client that comes into my office?

1. If you consume dairy on a regular basis, try to find raw (unpasteurized) milk.

2. If the thought of raw milk scares you, purchase the next best thing: certified organic milk products. They will be free of antibiotics and hormones.

3. Since most of milk's calcium is not absorbed by the body, make sure to get your calcium from these other sources: leafy green veggies, broccoli, sardines (with bones) and salmon.

4. Commit to a strength training routine on a consistent basis. Not just for your muscles and for the way you look in the mirror (although this does help) but for your bone's sake.

Hmmm...I don't know about you but this makes me rethink the milk moustache.

Yours in Health and Fitness

Adrian Lowther