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Porcelain pale skin is gorgeous (and the less you tan, the lower your risk of skin cancer, which will never go out of style), but new research say that it might mean you need more vitamin D—a vitamin that’s linked with lower chances of heart disease and better chances of recovery from breast cancer.
The study echoes the concerns of growing numbers of doctors and health experts: As more of us avoid the sun, fewer of us are getting enough of the essential vitamin, which our bodies synthesize when exposed to UV rays (and isn’t available in very many foods). But researchers found that it’s not just sun exposure and diet that determine vitamin D levels; there could be genetic variations in how well our bodies are able to process vitamin D. And if you’re pale? You probably need an extra supplement.
Researchers at the University of Leeds in England found that out of 1,200 people, over half had sub-optimal levels of vitamin D (although there’s no universal agreement as to what’s optimal, they determined from previous research that 60nmol/l was optimal for increasing bone density, lowering heart disease risk and increasing breast cancer survival odds, and used that metric for their study). In particular, they found that pale-skinned participants had depressed vitamin D levels; lead author Julia Newton-Bishop explained:
Fair-skinned individuals who burn easily are not able to make enough vitamin D from sunlight and so may need to take vitamin D supplements. This should be considered for fair-skinned people living in a mild climate like the UK and melanoma patients in particular.
Whether you’re pale or not, though, the best way to know whether you should start popping pills to get your vitamin D is to get your levels checked; a simple blood test at your doctor’s office will tell you whether you need to add this to your arsenal of vitamins and supplements.
Photo: fotomelian
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Vitamin D deficiency is so common (count me among the afflicted!) and so easily/safely prevented and treated with supplements, many people recommend not worrying about getting tested and simply taking a supplement anyway. And, I gotta say, I agree with this approach.
One rationale: it would be a shame for someone to procrastinate on this very simple health intervention because they were putting off seeing a doctor and getting a blood test done (and who doesn’t procrastinate when it comes to having a needle poke?). Also, even if you do get the test done and your level is normal, that’s no guarantee it will always stay that way.
As long as you’re not overdoing the dosing, I think most people should take supplemental D.
Pale skinned people actually absorb vitamin D EASIER than dark skinned people so encouraging sun exposure is not wise – all that is needed is 15 minutes only a day, before 10am or after 3pm or during the middle of the day if its Winter. I don’t eat dairy and I never go out in the sun even as much as you are supposed to (though i don’t wear sunscreen in winter) and yet both my calcium and vitamin D levels are fine. I also do not burn easy – this is a sign of a healthy diet if you don’t burn easily. I do however, eat salmon (with bones), every day which is high in both vitamin D and calcium. The sun is overrated. Too many people are blaming the sun when really I think its due to a bad diet.
I have fair skin, live in the Northeast, and have a strong family history of osteoporosis so vitamin D is high on my personal radar. At my last physical, my doctor included a vitamin D test in the regular blood work he ordered. Turned out I was fine. I take calcium supplements with D every day and try to over index on the small number of foods which claim to have vitamin D (mushrooms are the only thing I can think of). Whether you’re fair skinned or not, you should probably have your vitamin D checked through a blood test just to see.
You know I am not sure if it was a coincidence, but my sister has pale skin and burns easily. When she went into the Dr. a few months ago she found out that she had a serious Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplements can get expensive so I showed her a site where she can get it cheap.
http://www.http://brandname.5dollarsupplements.com/vitamin/super-multi