Vitamin D and the importance of Sunlight Exposure:

Exposure to sunlight, especially in the mornings, is good for health. It allows the body to properly synthesize the necessary vitamin D and also cholesterol sulphate.

If taking a Vitamin D supplement, which is never as good as what your body synthesizes from sunlight, you also need to boost your intake of vitamin K2. These two work in tandem to protect you from vitamin D toxicity. Sunlight has many additional health benefits unrelated to vitamin D production.

The debate on whether the sun is a friend or a foe is ongoing, with more and more people afraid of sun exposure given its ties to skin cancer and premature aging.

In a study conducted at the University of California, San Diego, researchers combined data from other surveys of satellite measurements of sunlight and cloud during the winter from 15 countries to estimate the serum level of vitamin D metabolite of people living in 177 countries. The compilation of data revealed a link between low vitamin D levels and risk of colorectal and breast cancer. According to the researchers, raising the serum levels of Vitamin D was found to be ideal for cancer prevention, which means 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year with sufficient exposure to sunlight.

Recent research also shows that low Vit-D is a predictor of type-2 diabetes mortality due to heart disease.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended levels of daily vitamin D is 1,000 IUs, the equivalent of 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure.

Your amount of daylight exposure is also vital in maintaining a normal circadian rhythm.Regular sunlight exposure can naturally increase the serotonin levels in your body, making you more active and alert.

The most notable benefit of exposure to sunlight is its ability to boost your body’s vitamin D supply. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says at least 1,000 different genes that control every tissue in the body are linked to be regulated by vitamin D3. Vitamin D is produced by the skin’s response to UV radiation primarily through sun exposure, which affects 10 percent of the genes in the human body.

Sun exposure means exposure of arms, legs, back and chest and not just face. Skin on the face is too thin and sensitive.

Skin that is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays release a compound, nitric oxide, that lowers blood pressure.

Additional supplements: are for those who exercise at athletic levels and are meant to prevent muscle soreness and speed up muscle repair.

1. L-Glutamate – 80 gms per day for the first 5 days. Take 10 gms every two hours on the dot till 80 gms is reached. Thereafter take 10-30 gms post workout on exercise days. It not only works as a post work-out supplement for tissue repair but also works for intestinal repair.
2. Creatinine Monohydrate – Take for only the first 28 days. Consume 3.5 gms up on waking and again before bed. If you use powder then mix-in 5-6 gms to compensate for losses in solution (avoid if having kidney conditions). It increases maximal force production and protein synthesis.

Beneficial side effects of some common drugs: (Please consult of your Physician)

• Metformin – research now shows that this drug used generally to treat Diabetes may also slow cellular ageing and curb age related illnesses. It shows longevity benefits and a decreased risk of cancer. It acts on a number of hormone receptors which are also affected by calorie restriction. It has anti-inflammatory action and reduces stress. Metformin may also causes mitochondrial damage. A better alternative may be Berberine (See below).
• Berberine, an alkoid extract from plants used in Ayurveda and TCM is a natural supplement that seems to have similar effects as pharmaceuticals It is taken mainly for its anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effect. It is considered superior to Metformin and is taken in similar doses, 900 to 1500 mg/day in 3 doses with meals.

It also has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and anti­viral properties and improves intestinal health. It affects the body at the molecular level and has a variety of functions within the cells. One of its main functions is activating on important enzyme called AMPK, which regulates metabolism.

Berberine causes significant reduction in blood sugar levels only in those who have elevated levels. It decreases insulin resistance and improves function of fat regulating hormones such as insulin, adiponectin and leptin and helps control obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

Too high a dose of Berberine at once, may cause stomach cramping and diarrhea, so take in 3 doses 300 to 500 mg throughout the day after meals. Berberine may suppress muscle growth and hence some intense exercising that contracts your muscle cells is advised. Berberine has a high potential to interact with some medications, so do consult your Physician if you are on any medications.

• Rapamycin – which is used to reduce the risk of organ transplants being rejected, targets the protein mToR, that suppresses the immune system, and again seems to have similar effect as calorie restriction without having to diet, but it also has serious side effects like insulin resistance and inflammation. Rapamycin also kills mitochondria in ageing cells and activates mitochondrial renewal leading to anti-cytokine activity.
• Senolytics – kills senescent cells while having little effect on healthy cells and also seem to have the effect of extending the health span.
• Resveratrol – targets and activates a set of proteins in the cell known as sirtuins which may act as metabolic sensors that characterize ageing cells and produce pro-inflammatory factors called cytokines which move neighbouring cells to senescence: chronic progressive inflammation of this sort drives various age related disease. Enthusiasm about Resveratrol has been greatly reduced once it was discovered to be less effective in the non-obese, but it is still being investigated as an Alzheimers

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