Recently, Vitamin D has gained a lot of interest for its potential to prevent chronic diseases. The latest article released this year by Mitri et al., linking the risk of diabetes to low levels of vitamin D in the body, has created media speculation about the potential of vitamin D to help prevent diabetes.
In a blog post last week we highlighted the mechanisms by which a tanning bed (solarium) can cause skin cancer, following new statistics on melanoma from the UK. Yet, individuals continue to use solariums – despite their risks – and much debate is ongoing about their exact impact upon human health, particularly with regards to vitamin D.
One of the key arguments made by advocates of solariums is that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is essential for the production of vitamin D. Tanning beds are, in theory, a good source of this nutrient during the winter months or in locations which don’t receive much sunlight throughout the year. Yet, to consider this reasoning, it is first important to understand the science behind these concepts. (more…)
As part of our ongoing focus on erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), we’ve invited Victoria to share her experiences with EPP as a guest blogger. You can read Victoria’s first post here.
When I was first diagnosed with EPP there was a huge sense of relief: someone had actually listened to me and believed that something wasn’t quite right.
That said, I am not overjoyed at having the condition as it restricts my life so much. When Spring starts to approach I get anxious as I dread having a reaction; my freedom to go out feels more restricted. (more…)
A small, preliminary study from the University of Adelaide (UoA) has revealed that indigenous Australians could have a high rate of vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D, despite its name, is actually a group of pre-hormones which is needed in small quantities by the human body. It is produced naturally in the skin upon exposure to the ultraviolet B radiation (320-280nm) in sunlight and can also be acquired through diet or supplementation. Vitamin D plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of healthy bones and deficiency can lead to bone diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia. (more…)
Overnight the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has issued an update on its position statement on vitamin D, a hot topic in dermatology and medicine more broadly (and one we’ve discussed on the blog in some depth in the past).
In a release issued on their website, the AAD reaffirmed its stance that vitamin D – essential for human skeletal health – should be obtained through diet and/or dietary supplements, rather than risking exposure to ultraviolet light, a natural source of vitamin D for humans. (more…)
Recent research out of Yale University has uncovered an interesting new aspect to the function and benefit of vitamin D in the human body. Preventing colds and influenza.
Influenza is a very common virus that is particularly prevalent in colder seasons and climates. This fact has led many to speculate as to why with the bulk of theories suggesting the lower temperatures allow the pathogens to survive longer and be transmitted more easily. Alternatively, it has been put forward that behavioural changes related to the season make people more likely to contract the virus.
A short while ago, we updated our article on organ transplant patients to highlight a major issue for individuals practicing daily photoproteciton – vitamin D deficiency (you can read our article here). New research into a much rarer disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum or XP, has shown that while some XP patients are deficient in their vitamin D levels, there is no conclusive correlation between photoprotective measures taken by patients and vitamin D deficiency.
For patients diagnosed with XP, extreme photoprotection is a necessary part of daily life. Often dubbed ‘children of the moon’ due to a forced nocturnal lifestyle, XP patients lack the ability to self-repair damage caused to DNA by UV light and are thus at an extreme risk of contracting UV induced skin cancers. In this sample study of 15 patients published in the European Journal of Dermatology, 10 patients were found to have decreased levels of vitamin D but, based on surveys distributed to patients, deficiencies did not correlate to sun exposure to generate a statistically significant result.
For more on xeroderma pigmentosum, see our article on the main Clinuvel site or visit the following links:
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Although we’ve been a little quiet this week on the blog, a number of updates have been made to the main site as part of our ongoing commitment to improving our online presence.
We’ve added a new, expanded article on melanoma, improved our article on skin cancer and organ transplant patients to include information on vitamin D deficiency.
We’ve also produced two short educational videos on the topics of skin and skin types. These now form a key part of the articles on Skin and the Function of Skin Pigment sections on our new website.
In the coming months we will produce and release more of these videos explaining the science, technology and concepts that influence, underpin and drive Clinuvel and our proprietary first-in-class medicinal photoprotective drug, Scenesse.
You may also have noticed that we have updated the visual design of the blog, making it more engaging, easy to use and also easier to share and interact with us on Twitter and Facebook.
Vitamin D is known to help our bodies to build bones and muscles, as well as playing a suspected role in preventing chronic diseases, but too much vitamin D can prove ineffective. That’s the conclusion of a study about super doses of vitamin D; too much vitamin D does not appear to reduce the risk of falling or suffering fractures in elderly women.
Our bodies produce vitamin D naturally when exposed to UV radiation, but due to an increased concern over skin cancer and increased use of sunscreens, vitamin D deficiency has become a worrying trend. Much research is now being done to ascertain the ‘right’ amount for vitamin D supplementation; mostly among the elderly, who are at increased risk of falls and fractures, which are a major cause of death.
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