In the January/February 2005 issue of The Dr. Christiane Northrup Newsletter I told my subscribers about a shift going on in the medical community due to research conducted recently on vitamin D supplementation. Studies have shown that most Americans are not getting enough vitamin D despite its health promoting qualities—studies show that this important nutrient can protect you from diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and can help treat depression naturally. Further, adequate intake of vitamin D can lower your risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

Many people don’t realize that calcium can’t be absorbed by the body unless there is enough vitamin D in the blood stream. This is one of the reasons vitamin D is essential to bone health. Luckily, your body was designed to get all the vitamin D it needs by getting enough sunlight. Here’s my sunlight prescription:

• Start slowly with sun exposure on as much of your skin as possible.
• Don’t allow any reddening of the skin to occur.
• Sunbathe only in the early morning or late afternoon sun.
• Avoid midday sun.
• Work up to 10–15 minutes 3–4 times per week. Note: The amount of sun exposure necessary to raise vitamin D levels varies with the amount of pigment in the skin. Dark skinned individuals have to stay out in the sun longer than redheads with fair skin!

The kind of brief exposure I’m recommending will not increase your risk of skin cancer. It will enhance your health on many levels instead. However, if you decide to take vitamin D supplements instead, make sure to get 800–5,000 IUs per day.

Researchers have also determined that vitamin D is far less toxic than once thought, and suggest that the Food and Nutrition Board adjust their “safe limits” accordingly. I hope that the word gets out soon! To learn more about safe supplementation with vitamin D and the dangers of vitamin D deficiency, go to the Vitamin D Council’s Web site at www.vitamindcouncil.org.

Remember, the vitamin D that you make under your skin in the summer actually gets stored up for the winter. Bones become stronger and denser in summer so that they can stand a bit of thinning in the winter when the sun’s rays weaken. So make sure you take advantage of all the health benefits of summer—not only for your breasts, but for every part of your body.