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15 July 2006

Vitamin D/Sunshine Advocate Still Under Attack

An interesting column on the MSNBC Web site demonstrates the ongoing and outrageous fear campaign by groups like the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to discredit the advice of Dr. Michael Holick, one of the world's leading vitamin D researchers who advocates getting the right amount of it naturally through daily sunshine exposure.

So much so, that the reporter received a strong scolding from the AAD, because advocating time in the sunshine "endangers America's health." The association's stance has much to do with its success in scaring people away from the sun and endangering their health by pushing toxic sunscreen concoctions.

The sad fact about all this unnecessary hoopla: Although Dr. Holick's detractors believe his philosophy is scientifically sound, that didn't prevent him from being forced to resign from his position in the dermatology department at Boston University.

The AAD's argument against sun exposure is one of fear and abstinence, Dr. Holick says, and not moderation. The trick about getting enough vitamin D naturally is to limit your sun exposure at the beginning to no more than 10 minutes a day -- a very conservative approach -- then progressively increasing it over time.

MSNBC news link

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