In the News

By Alok Jha in London Guardian News Service: Solar rays can help protect against some cancers and heart disease, say scientists. It has been the common wisdom for decades and the mantra of the pale and pasty who would rather not get hot and bothered: stay out of the sun to avoid getting skin cancer.… continue reading

Written by JuniorDr Team Simply slapping on some sunscreen may cause more harm than good, according to a study due to be published in New Scientist later this month. Research carried out at the University of California found that if people apply sunscreen less than once every two hours they might be better off not using any at all due to the effect of free radicals.… continue reading

NEW YORK — Recreational sun exposure could help prevent a type of blood cancer involving the lymph nodes called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), according to pooled data from 10 studies. “These results … could be taken to suggest that if sun exposure does protect against NHL it is an intermittent pattern of sun exposure that is the most protective,” Dr.… continue reading

Optimal vitamin D status attenuates the age-associated increase in systolic blood pressure in white Americans: results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey1,2,3 Suzanne E Judd, Mark S Nanes, Thomas R Ziegler, Peter WF Wilson and Vin Tangpricha 1 From the Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (SEJ, TRZ, and VT), the Divisions of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Lipids (MSN, TRZ, and VT) and Cardiology (PWFW), Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA Background: The prevalences of both hypertension and vitamin D insufficiency are high in the United States.… continue reading

Melbourne Pathology director, Ken Sikaris, who oversees about 1500 vitamin D tests a week, has said around half his patients have insufficient levels. It is a very serious situation.” Mr Palmer said extra sunlight and extra seafood were excellent ways to boost Vitamin D back to healthy levels.… continue reading