Chapter title |
Sunlight, UV-radiation, vitamin D and skin cancer: how much sunlight do we need?
|
---|---|
Chapter number | 1 |
Book title |
Sunlight, Vitamin D and Skin Cancer
|
Published in |
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, January 2008
|
DOI | 10.1007/978-0-387-77574-6_1 |
Pubmed ID | |
Book ISBNs |
978-0-387-77573-9, 978-0-387-77574-6
|
Authors |
Michael F. Holick, Holick MF, Holick, Michael F. |
Editors |
Jörg Reichrath |
Abstract |
Vtamin D is the sunshine vitamin for good reason. During exposure to sunlight, the utraviolet B photons enter the skin and photolyze 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 which in turn is isomerized by the body's temperature to vitamin D3. Most humans have depended on sun for their vitamin D requirement. Skin pigment, sunscreen use, aging, time of day, season and latitude dramatically affect previtamin D3 synthesis. Vitamin D deficiency was thought to have been conquered, but it is now recognized that more than 50% of the world's population is at risk for vitamin D deficiency. This deficiency is in part due to the inadequate fortification of foods with vitamin D and the misconception that a healthy diet contains an adequate amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency causes growth retardation and rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis and increase risk of fracture in adults. The vitamin D deficiency has been associated pandemic with other serious consequences including increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease. There needs to be a renewed appreciation of the beneficial effect of moderate sunlight for providing all humans with their vitamin D requirement for health. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Brazil | 1 | 20% |
Canada | 1 | 20% |
United States | 1 | 20% |
Unknown | 2 | 40% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 3 | 60% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 40% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Turkey | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 125 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 23 | 18% |
Researcher | 14 | 11% |
Student > Master | 14 | 11% |
Other | 10 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 6% |
Other | 20 | 16% |
Unknown | 37 | 29% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 31 | 25% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 12 | 10% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 10 | 8% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 8 | 6% |
Chemistry | 7 | 6% |
Other | 17 | 13% |
Unknown | 41 | 33% |