<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/04/lack-of-sunlight-leads-to-infertility.aspx>Lack
of Sunlight Leads to Infertility
fertility, infertility, vitamin D, sunlight, sunshine, sun, vit
An infertility study has revealed vitamin D
deficiency among men who are unable to impregnate
their partners. The discovery surprised the
researchers, who were investigating the incidence
of DNA fragmentation of sperm.
Fertility specialist Dr. Anne Clark screened the
blood of almost 800 men with fertility problems,
and found that almost a third had lower than normal levels of vitamin D.
Sunlight is the major source of vitamin D.
Sources:
*
<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24519427-36398,00.html?from=public_rss>News.com.au
October 19, 2008
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The beneficial effects vitamin D can provide are
nothing short of amazing. So much so that
optimizing your sun exposure, and hence the
levels of vitamin D in your body, may indeed be
one of the most crucial steps you can take in
support of your long-term health.
I've discussed many of these benefits before
(please see the related article links below), but
now it turns out vitamin D may also play an important role in fertility.
Australian fertility specialist Dr Anne Clark
found almost a third of the 800 infertile men
included in her study had lower than normal levels of vitamin D, stating that:
" Vitamin D and folate deficiency are known to be
associated with infertility in women, but the
outcomes of the screening among men in our study
group came as a complete surprise. Men in the
study group who agreed to make lifestyle changes
and take dietary supplements had surprisingly good fertility outcomes."
Previous studies, such as this one published in
<http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/110/8/1573.pdf>The
Journal of Nutrition, found that although vitamin
D deficient female rats were capable of
reproduction, it reduced fertility by an
astounding 75 percent, diminished litter sizes by
30 percent, and impaired neonatal growth.
What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?
As Dr Clark said, concerns about skin cancer is
likely one major contributing factor to the
rampant vitamin D deficiency we now see around
the world, along with indoor work, and other
lifestyle choices that do not include direct sunlight exposure.
But evidence continues to mount in support of the
obvious link between healthy vitamin D levels and
getting the right amount of sunshine, which
allows your body to produce it naturally. And
unlike other medical fads that boomed and bombed,
this evidence is very strong and keeps growing.
Why Too Little Sun May Be Far Worse Than Too Much
In fact, the concept questions the longstanding
conventional belief that you should coat yourself
with sunscreen whenever you're in the sun.
Vitamin D bears the nickname the "sunshine
vitamin" because your skin produces it from
ultraviolet ray exposure. Researchers now believe
that slapping on sunscreen actually contributes
to far more cancer deaths than it prevents, as
doing so blocks this vital vitamin production.
Thus, while dermatologists and health agencies
have long touted that such lotions are needed to
prevent skin cancer, many scientists are now
challenging that advice. Their main argument:
Vitamin D is important for preventing at least 16
different types of cancer, including:
* Breast cancer
* Prostate cancer
* Lung cancer
* Skin cancer
* Colon cancer
* Lymphoma
So, even if too much sun can lead to skin cancer,
which is rarely deadly, too little sun may be worse.
In fact, Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a Harvard
professor, offered such compelling evidence in
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15868450?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum>one
of his studies -- vitamin D may prevent 30 deaths
for each death caused by skin cancer -- that the
American Cancer Society started reconsidering its
own sun guidelines. Said Giovannucci in a
previous interview with the Associated Press:
"I would challenge anyone to find an area or
nutrient or any factor that has such consistent
anti-cancer benefits as vitamin D. The data is really quite remarkable."
The mechanisms by which vitamin D reduces your
risk of cancer are fairly well understood. They include:
* Enhancing calcium absorption (in the case of colorectal cancer)
* Inducing cell differentiation
* Increasing cancer cell apoptosis or death
* Reducing metastasis and proliferation
* Reducing angiogenesis
Fertility – What Does Vitamins Have to Do With It?
Now it seems we can add infertility to the list
of health ailments that are made worse by too
little sun exposure. But other vitamins and
minerals can also be helpful in this area.
For example, did you know that vitamin C increases sperm quality and mobility?
Vitamin C -- In one
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17004914?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed>study,
infertile men who were given 1,000 mg of vitamin
C twice daily improved their sperm count, sperm
motility, and sperm morphology. The researchers
stated vitamin C could be important as an
additional supplement to improve semen quality
and increase chances of a natural conception.
Vitamin E & Selenium -- Vitamin E and selenium
can also improve sperm motility. One
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12623744?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed>study
published in the Archives of Andrology confirmed
the protective and beneficial effects of vitamin
E and selenium on semen quality, and supported
their use in male infertility treatment. Men who
are deficient in vitamin B12 can also suffer from
poor motility (where the sperm don't swim very
well) so it is thought that taking this vitamin may be helpful as well.
Zinc -- If low testosterone is the cause, zinc
may help. In one
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7271365?ordinalpos=33&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum>study,
37 infertile men were given 60mgs of zinc a day
for six weeks. 22 of the men with low
testosterone dramatically increased their sperm
counts and their testosterone, and 9 out of the
22 spouses became pregnant during the study.
As usual, if you want to try the vitamin therapy
approach, I recommend you try to get most of your
vitamins naturally, from the food you eat, and in
the case of vitamin D, from the sun (as it is not naturally present in food).
Good sources of zinc include nuts and seeds.
Vitamin C is abundant in oranges, strawberries
and sweet potatoes. Vitamin B12 is found in butter, margarine, and eggs.
A whole food diet based on your nutritional type,
and avoiding processed foods, is the best way to
ensure you’re getting sufficient amounts of essential vitamins and minerals.
You should also be aware that certain drugs can
interfere with your vitamin D absorption and
metabolism, including cholestyramine (Questran), Dilantin, and phenobarbital.
Additionally, because vitamin D is a fat-soluble
vitamin, any drug or substance that interferes
with fat absorption may cause problems, as may a low-fat diet.
Related Articles:
[]
Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency
[]
Vitamin D and Breast Feeding
[]
The Secret of Vitamin D Production
<*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}><
<*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom!<*}}}><
Prayer for Unborn Life:
O GOD OF LIFE AND LOVE, You have given us the
gift to participate with You to bring new life
into the world. But, all too often, the mother's
womb, which should be a nursery of life, becomes
instead a place of it's destruction.
Help us to remove this evil and ensure respect
for all life made in Your image and likeness,
called to fulfill its promise on this earth,
and destined to find a home with you for all eternity.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Our God, Our Savior, and Our ALL.
Amen.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list.
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Catholics on Fire" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire
May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
