Sunshine And Vitamin D: A Comprehensive Guide to the Benefits of the "Sunshine Vitamin": A Comprehensive Guide to the Benefits of the Sunshine Vitamin [Paperback]

Frank Murray has done an impressive job amassing a huge quantity of facts, statistics, studies, and testimony of experts which he presents to you in Sunshine and Vitamin D: a comprehensive guide to the benefits of the "Sunshine Vitamin". The main theme can be summarized in these statements:

Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide pandemic
Vitamin D can aid in preventing dozens of serious diseases
Fear of overdose is greatly overblown
Vitamin D is poised to be the nutrient of the decade

Most of the chapters describe how vitamin D affects various medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, MS, etc. The final chapter addresses the critical question how much is too much. (Hint: it is much higher than you will ever have.)

To anyone who has spent more than a few minutes looking into the issue, published research leaves no doubt that vitamin D plays an important role in achieving optimal health. The vitamin D receptor present in the nuclei of cells that constitute most internal organs allows proper functioning when the receptor site bonds with a vitamin D molecule. This condition takes place to an optimal degree when a person has a 25(OH)D blood level around 50 ng/mL, which is why most of us need to supplement with around 5000 international units (IU) daily. Vitamin D is safe even at much higher levels according to those with the most research experience. Although the government cautiously warns against a daily dosage greater than 2000 IU, the experts assert that 2000 IU leaves most people somewhat deficient and therefore vulnerable to many of the serious diseases of modern times. Carefully reading Frank Murray's book will take you far along the road of understanding vitamin D's key role in preventing (and in some cases, treating) disease.

"Sunshine and Vitamin D" joins these others on the recommended reading list:
The Vitamin D Cure by Dr. James Dowd
Vitamin D: Is it the Fountain of Youth? by Paul A. Stitt
Solar Power for Optimal Health, by Dr. Marc Sorenson
The Healing Sun, by Dr. Richard Hobday

To gain a full understanding of this complex subject it would be wise to read all of these books along with conducting a thorough Internet search for articles in the general press and in medical journals. In my search, I have found no other information source containing a broader range of information on vitamin D than Murray's book. I also appreciate that Frank Murray does not shy away from including tons of numerical data which is essential for achieving a full understanding of Vitamin D's role.

On the flip side, parts of it are not easy to read if you are not into medical jargon. It is a little light on specific suggestions and information you can immediately put into practice. I wish he would do a better job keeping the units understandable, like the conversion between nanograms per milliliter and nanomoles per liter in a vitamin D blood test, or micrograms and international units. In addition, the author makes no attempt to unravel some of the confusing and wildly differing opinions on this subject. He simply presents it and it is up to you to determine who and what to believe.

If there really is a widespread deficiency, and if Vitamin D is safe, free of side effects, inexpensive, and shows a clearly demonstrated ability to help prevent many life-threatening diseases, then common sense should tell you to begin a regimen as a precaution. Before embracing something, the medical community consistently waits until scientific proof of its efficacy is irrefutable. Meanwhile, 1½ million people die per year in the US alone of chronic degenerative disorders, some of which, unnecessarily, if they supplemented with vitamin D. Fortunately, you don't have to wait for the rest of the world to catch up if you are willing to do your homework and take personal responsibility for your health. Reading Sunshine and Vitamin D is an efficient way to join the leading edge of this populist revolution.

Despite a few minor grievances, I gave this book five stars because it presents a wealth of information that everyone everywhere ought to know if they seriously wish to pursue good health and a long disease-free life.

[2012 WARNING: Until 2012, none of the books on the benefits of Vitamin D3 warned about the need to also take vitamin K2! I have to wonder how all these self-claimed vitamin D3 experts, who also claimed so many successes, were ignorant that vitamin A (it seems most of us are deficient in this vitamin too), vitamin D3 and vitamin K (in the form of K2) must come together in balanced proportions. If you take calcium and vitamin D but are deficient in vitamin K, you may be increasing the risk of a heart attack. Vitamin K is essential not only for preventing potentially deadly blood clots but also for bone building (including delaying tooth decay) and maintenance. Perhaps most important - K has powerful anti-cancer effects. It is known to be helpful for cardiovascular disease, varicose veins, brain health problems, including dementia and even prevents infectious diseases such as pneumonia. Some claim that most people need daily vitamin D3 of at least 2000 IU with 3000 IU of vitamin A and 100mcg of vitamin K2. The synergy between them is vital as there is evidence that the safety of high dose vitamin D is dependent on vitamin K, and that vitamin D toxicity (although very rare with the D3 form) is actually caused by vitamin K2 deficiency.]

Of the 8 books on vitamin D that I've read so far, I suspect there still much more of value to be learned about vitamin D which is actually a steroid hormone affecting many body processes. This book is comprehensive, just as it says on the cover, but somewhat technical - mainly brief compilations of hundreds of studies but no practical guidelines, so not really suitable for the layman who wants to experiment with high-dose vitamin D.

Of the other books, "The Vitamin D Revolution" by Soram Khalsa was previously the one I preferred, "Vitamin D Prescription" by Eric Madrid is also good. "The Vitamin D Cure" by James Dowd is not basic, comprehensive or practical. Then there is "Vitamin D" by Michael Merrill which was too brief and simply inadequate.

Of the 2010 books, both "Vitamin D" by Rona and "Power of Vitamin D" by Zaidi are brief but quite good but the one that is now my favorite pick is "The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problem" by Holick. It is a practical and easy read. At 300 pages I also found it thorough. I liked that it straightforwardly explained that sunshine, when it shines strongly enough, is always better than supplementing with Vitamin D.

It's worth noting that, over a decade ago, several books were already lauding the much-overlooked benefits of sunshine, the best way to get vitamin D, although the further away from the equator, the less effective. (Those who react badly to Vitamin D and/or sunshine may have a rare disease called sarcoidosis.)

Apparently, vitamin D can cure cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, bone density issues, arthritis, flu, muscle pain, chronic pain, fatigue, seasonal (and other) depression and various autoimmune disorders. Perhaps it's just my cynicism from decades of reading endless books singing the praises of so-called miracles such as DMSO, MMS, DHEA, vitamin C, magnesium, iodine, omega 3 EFAs, breathwork, oxygen therapy, hydrogen peroxide, water, thyroid hormone, adrenal hormone, liver cleanses, detoxes, fasts, exercise, neutralising electromagnetic stress, juicing, mangosteen, noni juice, superfoods, organic foods, wholefoods, celiac diets, dairy-free diets, veggie diets, protein diets, carb diets, food combining, acid-alkaline balancing diets, glycemic index diets, high fibre diets, raw food diets, candida/fungus elimination, parasite cleansing - oh dear, the list of my gullibility seems endless.

Yes, I've tried all of these, sometimes repeating them in various combinations and on each occasion with enthusiasm and bright-eyed hope. "Trick and Treat" by Groves explains in detail just why all my efforts were doomed. So, these days I wonder about the success rates invariably claimed in so many books on wonder-supplements and wonder-diets. Few of the books on vitamin D even mention that some people don't assimilate vitamin D properly, such as older people, those with health problems, and those who have a wheat/gluten intolerance (much more common than realized).

I was startled to learn, also in Holick's book which I read months later than this one, that about a third of the population has kidney disease (which never gets diagnosed until too late and allegedly little can be done for it apart from horrible treatments like dialysis) and that about the same number are obese (hello... anyone making a connection here?) and that their kidneys may not be able to produce enough activated vitamin D: as compared to the non-obese, vitamin D levels rose only 50% as much in the blood levels of the obese when using a tanning bed or getting a dose of 50,000iu of vitamin D. The obese get a lot of blame for what is not actually their fault: studies now show that calcium also plays a key role in reducing obesity (elsewhere I have seen studies showing large weight loss in about 30% of obese women who take both calcium and vitamin D).

Based on my personal experience of taking 10,000iu daily of vitamin D3 for 6 months, I'm not convinced that vitamin D supplementation of the non-prescription kind is a panacea, as so many of the books are claiming - and I am not convinced that all these authors got the unanimously fantastic results they allege. While I believe that vitamin D supplementation at 5,000 ius daily is beneficial, too many single-strategy books have a way of sounding a little overzealous, attributing every malady to whatever deficiency they're tackling and proposing it as the magic solution across the board.

For those looking for general health improvements, I also suggest:
- "Outsmart Your Cancer" by Tanya Harter Pierce is a considered and thoughtful review of successful alternative remedies - and, anything that can HEAL cancer is also a general healer and should be able to help much else in the body;
- "Never Fear Cancer Again" by Raymond Francis a superb distillation of what is truly needed for health
- "Trick and Treat" by Barry Groves or and "The Diet Delusion" by Gary Taubes or "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by Phinney and Volek , all of which turn upside down everything governments have told us to eat for health;
- "Vitamin C: The Real Story" by Hickey & Saul - proof that mega-dose vitamin C as ascorbic acid (like Vitamin D3, a super-nutrient) is an effective antibiotic, antifungal, nontoxic anti-cancer agent, and also a treatment for heart disease as well as strokes, arthritis, peptic ulcers and cataracts - has NO negative side effects, almost impossible to over-dose and less toxic than water;
- "Transdermal Magnesium Therapy" by Sircus on the amazing benefits of magnesium - a fundamental supplement for a healthy body;
- "The XXL Syndrome", basically a booklet, about the essential part potassium plays in health (especially potassium bicarbonate);
- "Sodium Bicarbonate - Full Medical Review" also by Sircus;
"Iodine: Why you need it, Why you can't live without it" by David Brownstein and " The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life" by Lynne Farrow.

A number of leading edge doctors (those who truly practice under their oath "First Do No Harm") are stating that sodium bicarbonate, magnesium chloride and lugol's iodine form the triumvirate of health recovery - and all are cheap to buy.

LATEST NOTE: I turned out to have serious adrenal fatigue and serious low thyroid issues. The thyroid issue (particularly) had been getting worse for 2 decades, whilst "standard" medicine denied I had either, repeatedly telling me all their tests "proved" there was nothing physically wrong with me! `Hypothyroidism Type 2' by Mark Starr explains how all chronic pain is linked to low thyroid, including those involved with diabetes, heart problems, both bleeding (like gums, periods) & blood clots (including strokes) and some cancers. If you have any kind of chronic pain, you need to know 1. some are calling low thyroid the silent epidemic (silent because officially denied) and 2. that ALL the standard lab tests are WRONG, low thyroid and/or low adrenals are the most common health problem...

The FREE basal (at rest) temperature self-test is THE gold standard for low thyroid problems and - with your symptoms - means more than any lab test (although most conventional doctors won't agree). It will pick up conditions that current lab tests don't, such as thyroid resistance. The stopthethyroidmadness website has excellent instructions for this self-test, as well as several for adrenal fatigue, which often goes hand-in-hand with low thyroid.