The editor of the Harvard Health Letter told readers that he gets much of his \u201csunshine vitamin\u201d the old-fashioned and natural way: By going into the sun and taking a walk. \u201cBeing of sound mind and body, and responsible for my actions only, I also get my vitamin D the old-fashioned way. It\u2019s a sunny afternoon, and I\u2019m going out for a walk,\u201d P.J. Skerrett wrote in the Harvard Heart Letter.<\/p>\n
Skerrett\u2019s comments come on the heels of a Forum at the Harvard School of Public Health titled, \u201cBoosting Vitamin D: Not Enough or Too Much?\u201d which included several vitamin D experts.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome background: Vitamin D isn\u2019t really a vitamin. It\u2019s a hormone. The body makes it when sunlight strikes the skin,\u201d Skerrett wrote. \u201cThis converts a cousin of cholesterol into a substance that ultimately becomes vitamin D. It is best known for helping the digestive system absorb calcium and phosphorus, so it is important for bone health. New research suggests\u2014emphasis on suggests\u2014that vitamin D may also be involved with regulating blood pressure, fighting cancer, and improving the immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frankly, we\u2019re wondering why so many continue to write \u201csuggests\u201d on vitamin D research, given the thousands of studies and dozens of random-control trials on the topic. \u201cDermatology continues to marginalize vitamin D research in the press\u2014using terms like \u201csuggestive\u201d to a body of work that is now orders of magnitude greater than data on sunlight\u2019s complex relationship with sunlight,\u201d Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. \u201cStill, it\u2019s encouraging that he at least sees vitamin D for what it is: Something naturally derived from sun exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n