Hi, my name is Don Mackintosh
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and you're watching
"Health for a Lifetime"
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We're glad that
you've joined us.
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Today we're going to be
talking about something that's
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very important - it's SUNLIGHT!
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Do you get enough sunlight?
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What do you know about sunlight?
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Joining us to talk
about this interesting subject
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is Dr. Tim Arnott
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Dr. Arnott is a physician who is
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trained in family
practice family medicine,
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but also has really spent a lot
of time in preventive medicine.
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He's a physician at the
Lifestyle Center in Oklahoma,
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and Dr. Arnott, what do they do
there at the Lifestyle Center?
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Well, we take individuals most
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oftenly they
have diabetes type 2,
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or they might have heart
disease, high blood pressure,
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maybe they are
concerned about their weight,
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they may have arthritis
and they're looking for
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another answer; they are
looking for a better option
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than what
they've had in the past,
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and so they come to
us and we specialize in
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teaching individuals
how to remove the cause,
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the underlying
cause of their disease,
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so that these
problems get better.
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And, it's very exciting
work, we see people get better.
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They lose weight,
they're on less medicine...
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It's just exciting work.
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That's a beautiful facility!
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I've been out there,
I've seen your facility.
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It's right there, kind of
on the top of a mountain there
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in the - I think it's
the Arbuckle Mountains.
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If you haven't been, you
should be... come see us!
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Right there on the top of
that, one of the big things
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I noticed is the
sunlight. Absolutely!
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Maybe this is why you got
interested in this subject.
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You know I think it's one of
the reasons we're in Oklahoma
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because we have
SO MUCH sunlight.
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Why is sunlight so important?
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Well, you know, there is
an epidemic in this country
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of weight in excess.
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We have 60% of the American
population that is either
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overweight or obese
and that number is growing,
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and there's also an epidemic
of depression in this country -
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and those 2 are interrelated!
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And if you're feeling down,
if you're feeling discouraged,
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one of the ways you can
pick yourself up is by eating.
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And, individuals may not
realize that we have turned
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in this country in order to deal
with depression - to medications
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Medications that
RAISE serotonin levels,
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and that's, of course, a
neurotransmitter chemical
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in the brain that improves our
mood... makes us feel better!
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It improves our
sense of well-being.
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Dr. Lambert and his colleagues
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at the Baker Heart
Research Center in Australia
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have actually discovered
something very interesting
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and that is if you get out into
the sunlight on a bright day,
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you will actually raise your
serotonin level 8 times higher
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than if you were
standing out in a dull day.
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And so they've discovered,
we can go to our first graphic..
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it shows this
quite graphically there.
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You can see what your serotonin
production level would be,
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and it's very interesting -
they actually took a catheter
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and they put it in the jugular
vein that drains the brain;
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the blood coming
right out of the brain.
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See, they've done
studies... So right in here -
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Right in here.
They've done studies where
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they take the
blood out of the vein
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in your
antecubital vein in your arm,
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and they didn't see
any major differences
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in serotonin levels
between going out and being in a
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bright day and
being out in a dull day,
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but when they measured the blood
coming right out of the brain,
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they saw an 8-fold difference.
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Now, here's the
point... most of us spend
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nearly all of our
time where? Inside!
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INSIDE - we're not
even out in a DULL day!
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We're inside an artificial
lighting which is about
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100 to 250 lux and
it's 10,000 lux outside,
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and it could be a maximum
of 100,000 lux on a bright day
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on a beach outside.
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Lux is being I guess the weight.
The intensity of the light.
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And so we're in a dark
environment basically most of
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our adult life and our serotonin
production is suppressed
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essentially chronically.
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They also discovered
that the light intensity
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in the wintertime is not
nearly what it is in the summer.
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And when they tested
these serotonin levels
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between winter and
summer light exposure
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7- fold greater serotonin
production in your brain
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in the summer versus the winter.
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So, we should
all move to Florida!
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Well we should get outside more!
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In fact, most
individuals who are working
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probably have a 15 minute
break some time in their morning
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and some time
in their afternoon,
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and basically, what you
want to do is get outside
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and get the
bright intensity light.
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Some people are
worried about skin cancer.
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You really don't have
to be concerned about that
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because this is light through
the EYE that's important.
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Okay, so instead of having
a Prozac attack, so to speak,
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even though there is
a place for medication
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I'm sure with depression,
maybe one of the best things
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you're saying - one of the
reasons sunlight is important
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is because it can
help us be less depressed,
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and it can help us have a
sense of well-being as well.
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What happens to the brain if I
am indoors almost all the time?
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Well, I mean, it just
feeding off this last issue...
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When you're
indoors all of the time,
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your serotonin levels are going
to be chronically suppressed.
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Your serotonin levels
are going to be much lower,
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maybe an 8, maybe a
7 of what they could be
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or even LOWER and so
your need for medication is
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going to be elevated.
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There is going to be MORE
people who are going to be
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...for example, "SAD" which
is seasonal affective disorder
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which we usually think
about as being up in the
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northeast and
those kind of states -
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BUT, individuals who
are depressed through the
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winter months but
this something that is a
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major problem - more
of a subclinical level,
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maybe it's not being
diagnosed but many people are
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depressed in their
mood because they are just
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not getting the
sunlight that they need.
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When is the best
time to be outside?
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Well you know, studies
have shown that the BEST time
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to be outside is the
first thing in the morning.
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What you want to do...
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I think you have a
graphic on this too - don't you?
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Yes, actually we
can go to a graphic.
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One of the BEST
times to be outside is
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the first thing in the
morning. Early in the morning!
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Because one of the
things that you want to do...
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Because the sun is
out right then - Exactly!
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The sun is out and your body
actually has a circadian rhythm
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and it takes cues from
the sun in order to get that
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circadian rhythm...
So when it sees the sun,
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it says, time to be
on the run. Exactly!
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And one of the
things that is important,
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you have a gland deep in the
brain called the "pineal gland"
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This gland makes the melatonin.
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Melatonin has important
benefits as an antioxidant,
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but it also gives you
that groggy, sleepy sensation
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that you want at
night, but you don't want that
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during the day - you
want to SHUT OFF melatonin
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during the day and the
WAY you shut it off is you get
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bright intensity
light into your eyes
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ESPECIALLY first
thing in the morning.
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On your graphic, there's
probably another thing here
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as we are looking at
that, what's the next thing?
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Spend more time outside!
That needs to become a habit!
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Because the only way that you
can get the INTENSITY of light
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that you need to BOOST
your serotonin level...
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And by the way, serotonin
levels go up IMMEDIATELY
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as soon as you're out
in that bright sunlight.
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So IMMEDIATELY
when you're out there,
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I mean, the benefits
just begin right then!
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Absolutely, and in fact,
as our next graphic will show,
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if you're short on time
and if you're a busy person
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working in an office, all
you need to do is to go out
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when the
sunlight is MOST intense.
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And that's when
people are worried...
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They say - Hey, wait a
minute, if I go out when the sun
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is real intense, I'm
going to get skin cancer.
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But this is talking
about light through the eyes.
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You don't have to
have light on the skin.
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You can have your
hands covered, arms covered,
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legs covered - as long as
your eyes are exposed to the
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bright intensity
light there right around 10
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That doesn't mean look
at the sun though, right?
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Oh, absolutely
not, absolutely not.
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It means just outside...
That's right, just outside,
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and your brain will
actually be stimulated by
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the intensity of the light.
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Can I raise brain serotonin
levels without going outside?
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Well, you know, there are
some individuals who may not
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be able to get outside.
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You know, their JOB
or their living situation
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may not permit it,
or, in fact, they may live
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so far north that
they're just not able to
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get the intensity... for
example in the wintertime,
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that they need...
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And what you can do
is, you can get a light box
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and these are full-spectrum
lights or they may actually
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be a blue light wave and the
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blue light wave, around
the 400 nanometer wave length
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is actually MOST effective at
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shutting off
melatonin production.
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And so, you only need
about 20 or 30 minutes
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in about 2-3 feet
away from a light box
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and you could actually get
the SAME benefits to the brain
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as you would with
the bright sunlight.
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It will raise
serotonin, it will shut off
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melatonin... Why would I
want to shut off melatonin?
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I've heard that's good for you.
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Well during the day
you want to shut it off
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so at night you have a
nice higher amount of melatonin
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so you're sleeping better and
you have all of the good things
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that melatonin does at
night but during the day,
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you want serotonin
raised and so you have the mood
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and elevating effects of that.
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So, do you have
one of these lights?
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Do you have to use this or
in Oklahoma you have enough sun?
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Well actually, I do have
a light box that I do use
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because much of
our work is indoors,
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and sometimes we're
just not able to get outside,
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but it's actually
probably helpful to do both
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because some days you
may be able to get out,
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some days you may
not be able to get out.
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But by and large, the
very best way to get sunlight
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is just to sneak
outside at every opportunity
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because there is
fresh air out there as well.
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So I have a friend
that basically what he does
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right after lunch, is
he and his wife always
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go for a little brief
walk right after lunch.
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It's probably the most
intense time of sunlight,
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plus he doesn't want
to lay down after he eats,
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and he just goes
out... Is that a good time?
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Absolutely! I think you're
talking about Dr. George Guthrie
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I've seen him
out there after meals
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at the Lifestyle
Center of America
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going around the top of the
hill, as you mentioned earlier,
00:11:23.23\00:11:26.67
lots of sunlight -
that's an excellent thing to do.
00:11:26.70\00:11:30.40
There was one of our coworkers,
myself and he actually
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did 15 minutes in the morning,
15 minutes in the afternoon.
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I tell ya, when you get
done, that 15 minute walk
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out and your looking
up into the blue heavens,
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and just walking
outside, you will FEEL the surge
00:11:45.99\00:11:49.41
of serotonin in your brain.
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You can actually feel the
difference - it's amazing!
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I feel like we should
just go out right now.
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I mean, here we are with
these lights all around us.
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Is this giving us serotonin?
00:11:58.60\00:12:01.08
Is this helping us, these camera
lights and all that stuff?
00:12:01.11\00:12:03.89
Most lighting indoors is
not nearly intense enough.
00:12:03.92\00:12:07.29
Unless you buy a full-spectrum
light that's 10,000 lux,
00:12:07.32\00:12:12.65
and that's being within 2
feet or 3 feet away from it,
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you're just not going to get the
00:12:17.41\00:12:18.98
serotonin boost
that you really need.
00:12:19.01\00:12:21.13
So pray for the people at 3ABN,
00:12:21.16\00:12:22.83
they're not getting
the light they need.
00:12:22.86\00:12:24.58
They're sharing the
light but they're not getting
00:12:24.61\00:12:26.68
enough of the
physical light, perhaps...
00:12:26.71\00:12:28.67
Well it's a common problem
and all of us have to work on
00:12:28.70\00:12:32.01
ways of getting out
there because this is critical.
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We were MADE to be outside.
00:12:35.73\00:12:37.47
The Creator designed us not only
to eat a high carbohydrate diet,
00:12:37.50\00:12:42.32
and fiber rich diet but also He
designed us to be in the light.
00:12:42.35\00:12:46.43
Okay, we've been
talking with Dr. Tim Arnott.
00:12:46.46\00:12:49.84
We've been
talking about sunlight.
00:12:49.87\00:12:51.77
Let's summarize that just
before we go to our break.
00:12:51.80\00:12:53.94
What again have we learned?
00:12:53.97\00:12:55.34
Let's just summarize briefly.
00:12:55.37\00:12:56.74
One of the MOST important things
that we have learned is that
00:12:56.77\00:12:59.49
MANY PEOPLE ARE
SUFFERNG FROM DEPRESSION
00:12:59.52\00:13:03.12
because they have
depressed serotonin levels,
00:13:03.15\00:13:06.32
and one of the MAJOR ways
that you could RAISE serotonin
00:13:06.35\00:13:10.19
7- fold, 8-fold minimally is to
get out in the bright sunlight.
00:13:10.22\00:13:15.73
We've been talking
with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:13:15.76\00:13:18.73
He is a physician at the
00:13:18.76\00:13:20.13
Lifestyle Center of
America in Oklahoma.
00:13:20.16\00:13:21.98
He helps people ALL day
with different diseases,
00:13:22.01\00:13:26.38
Western diseases - one of which
is overweight and depression.
00:13:26.41\00:13:29.27
We've talked about the
connection between that
00:13:29.30\00:13:31.20
and getting out in the sunlight.
00:13:31.23\00:13:33.10
Well, if you can pop your head
out for a couple of seconds,
00:13:33.13\00:13:35.21
then come back in for the
second half of the program
00:13:35.24\00:13:37.03
do that - we hope you
join us when we come back.
00:13:37.06\00:13:39.96
Have you found yourself wishing
00:13:41.22\00:13:42.59
that you could
shed a few pounds?
00:13:42.62\00:13:43.99
Have you been on a
diet for most of your life,
00:13:44.02\00:13:46.30
but not found anything that
will really keep the weight off?
00:13:46.33\00:13:49.19
If you've answered "yes"
to any of these questions,
00:13:49.22\00:13:52.43
then we have a
solution for you that works!
00:13:52.46\00:13:55.18
Dr. Hans Diehl and
Dr. Aileen Ludington
00:13:55.21\00:13:58.08
have written a
marvelous booklet called...
00:13:58.11\00:14:00.15
"Reversing Obesity Naturally"
00:14:00.18\00:14:02.21
and we'd like to send
it to you FREE of charge.
00:14:02.24\00:14:05.27
Here's a medically
sound approach successfully
00:14:05.30\00:14:07.67
used by thousands who were
able to eat more and lose weight
00:14:07.70\00:14:11.15
permanently without
feeling guilty or hungry
00:14:11.18\00:14:13.86
through lifestyle medicine.
00:14:13.89\00:14:15.56
Dr. Diehl and Dr. Ludington
have been featured on 3ABN
00:14:15.59\00:14:19.36
and in this booklet
they present a sensible
00:14:19.39\00:14:21.65
approach to eating,
nutrition, and lifestyle changes
00:14:21.68\00:14:24.66
that could help you prevent
00:14:24.69\00:14:26.06
heart disease,
diabetes and even cancer.
00:14:26.09\00:14:28.50
Call or write today
for your free copy of...
00:14:28.53\00:14:30.68
"Reversing Obesity Naturally"
00:14:30.71\00:14:32.49
and you could be on your
way to a healthier, happier YOU!
00:14:32.52\00:14:35.78
It's ABSOLUTELY free of
charge so call or write today.
00:14:35.81\00:14:39.28
Welcome back, we've been
talking with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:14:41.30\00:14:44.05
Dr. Arnott is a physician at
the Lifestyle Center of America
00:14:44.08\00:14:47.40
and he helps people
basically doctor, getting over
00:14:47.43\00:14:51.53
the common diseases
that afflict Americans.
00:14:51.56\00:14:54.24
We've talked about depression.
00:14:54.27\00:14:55.85
We've talked
about being overweight.
00:14:55.88\00:14:57.25
We've talked
about the importance of
00:14:57.28\00:14:58.65
being out in the
SUN to address this
00:14:58.68\00:15:01.16
and increase our
serotonin levels and give us
00:15:01.19\00:15:05.06
that sense of well-being
and all those different things.
00:15:05.09\00:15:08.32
We're looking a
little more into that.
00:15:08.35\00:15:11.27
We want to talk a little
bit about the skin and sunlight.
00:15:11.30\00:15:16.05
A question maybe
we could ask is...
00:15:16.08\00:15:19.81
What do green
plants and children have
00:15:19.84\00:15:22.69
in common with the skin?
00:15:22.72\00:15:25.13
Well you know, when
we were living in Iowa,
00:15:25.16\00:15:27.70
my wife and I had a small garden
and we were growing some corn.
00:15:27.73\00:15:32.15
You know, Iowa is
known for its TALL corn.
00:15:32.18\00:15:34.87
Well our garden was
actually shaded in part;
00:15:34.90\00:15:38.83
50% of it was totally shaded,
00:15:38.86\00:15:40.99
and then there was
less and less shade.
00:15:41.02\00:15:42.39
Well we grew this corn
and you could actually SEE
00:15:42.42\00:15:45.44
what corn was getting the most
sunlight by how tall it was.
00:15:45.47\00:15:49.43
And the corn that was
shaded the most was VERY short,
00:15:49.46\00:15:52.87
and one of the things, of
course, that green plants need
00:15:52.90\00:15:57.11
is they need the
sunlight hitting those electrons
00:15:57.14\00:16:01.93
there in the green pigments
of the plant creating energy
00:16:01.96\00:16:05.57
for that plant so the plant can
00:16:05.60\00:16:06.97
grow and
develop and become tall.
00:16:07.00\00:16:09.12
Children need calcium in
order to build the strong bones
00:16:09.15\00:16:14.11
...those long bones,
the femur bone in the leg
00:16:14.14\00:16:17.23
that are actually going to help
that child be nice and tall.
00:16:17.26\00:16:20.49
The way the child gets
that calcium into their body
00:16:20.52\00:16:24.40
is through the assistance
of a hormone vitamin D
00:16:24.43\00:16:29.04
Vitamin D is actually a hormone
that goes and it reaches the
00:16:29.07\00:16:34.14
intestine of your body and
it stimulates the formation
00:16:34.17\00:16:38.43
of a protein and
that protein reaches out
00:16:38.46\00:16:41.41
and it binds the
calcium in the food
00:16:41.44\00:16:44.00
that you've just
eaten and pulls it in.
00:16:44.03\00:16:45.92
But if you don't
have enough vitamin D,
00:16:45.95\00:16:48.05
you're NOT going to
make enough of that protein
00:16:48.08\00:16:50.10
and the calcium is going to
go on past and out of your body
00:16:50.13\00:16:53.38
rather than
getting into the body.
00:16:53.41\00:16:54.97
So vitamin D becomes very
important for growing children.
00:16:55.00\00:16:59.05
And, of course,
vitamin D is made in the skin
00:16:59.08\00:17:03.68
as light hits the skin,
hits cholesterol in the skin,
00:17:03.71\00:17:07.80
and changes it by a 2-
step process into vitamin D
00:17:07.83\00:17:11.63
So just like those green
plants didn't really grow
00:17:11.66\00:17:14.18
if they didn't have sun,
so your children really won't
00:17:14.21\00:17:17.88
have the strong
bones and won't really grow
00:17:17.91\00:17:19.84
and have the calcium they
need unless they're in the SUN!
00:17:19.87\00:17:22.15
We have a resurgence of
a disease in this country
00:17:22.18\00:17:24.56
called "rickets"
00:17:24.60\00:17:25.97
Rickets is a disease
of the bones of children.
00:17:26.00\00:17:29.92
They don't form
properly, they are deformed.
00:17:29.95\00:17:32.83
And actually, the
very first cesarean section
00:17:32.86\00:17:37.94
was done and it was
developed because women had
00:17:37.97\00:17:42.30
abnormally shaped
pelvises because they weren't
00:17:42.33\00:17:45.69
getting enough vitamin D and
so they had a form of rickets...
00:17:45.72\00:17:49.33
And so they had these abnormal
pelvises and they had to do
00:17:49.36\00:17:52.68
the first
C-section or deliver a child
00:17:52.71\00:17:54.73
through that
abnormal bony structure.
00:17:54.76\00:17:56.64
So the first C-section was done
00:17:56.67\00:17:58.58
because there
wasn't enough vitamin D
00:17:58.62\00:18:00.31
That's exactly right!
People weren't getting
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.38
enough sunlight and it's
happening all over again today
00:18:02.41\00:18:06.41
for a number of
different reasons...
00:18:06.44\00:18:08.23
But first of all, there is
a resurgence of interest in
00:18:08.26\00:18:12.44
vegetarianism,
plant-based diets.
00:18:12.47\00:18:14.91
Many people are
reaching out for plant diets,
00:18:14.94\00:18:17.26
and they're getting
off of dairy products.
00:18:17.29\00:18:19.82
Well one of the major
reasons that we don't have
00:18:19.85\00:18:23.68
vitamin D
deficiency in this country
00:18:23.71\00:18:25.45
is because of the D in milk.
00:18:25.48\00:18:27.34
So if you LEAVE
dairy products behind,
00:18:27.37\00:18:30.20
but you don't pick
up a source of vitamin D
00:18:30.23\00:18:32.56
somewhere along the way,
00:18:32.59\00:18:33.96
you can be putting your body
at risk of vitamin D deficiency,
00:18:33.99\00:18:37.00
and your children
at risk of rickets.
00:18:37.03\00:18:39.85
I can almost hear
people right now turning their
00:18:39.88\00:18:42.09
televisions off and
going outside. Exactly right!
00:18:42.12\00:18:45.88
But before you go outside,
there are a couple of other
00:18:45.91\00:18:47.73
diseases we need to talk about.
00:18:47.76\00:18:49.17
What are some other diseases
that develop as a result of
00:18:49.20\00:18:52.68
not having exposure.
00:18:52.71\00:18:54.48
We've talked about rickets...
00:18:54.51\00:18:55.88
We've talked about, you
know, some of these problems,
00:18:55.91\00:18:59.20
but are there other
diseases that develop?
00:18:59.23\00:19:00.60
Absolutely... One of the
major chronic afflictions
00:19:00.96\00:19:06.10
of many individuals in
this country is fibromyalgia.
00:19:06.13\00:19:09.42
Now fibromyalgia is a chronic
disorder where the muscles
00:19:09.45\00:19:14.35
are painful - there are actually
specific painful trigger points.
00:19:14.38\00:19:19.56
The muscles are tense -
usually these individuals are
00:19:19.59\00:19:22.88
under a lot of stress.
00:19:22.91\00:19:24.56
They are sedentary individuals,
00:19:24.59\00:19:26.70
and it's a very
difficult disease to treat...
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.62
And even when you
adopt an exercise program,
00:19:29.65\00:19:32.79
which does help fibromyalgia,
you have to be very careful
00:19:32.82\00:19:35.97
that you don't overDO it.
00:19:36.00\00:19:37.59
But one of the things
that has been shown to
00:19:37.62\00:19:40.09
help these individuals move
away from their chronic pain
00:19:40.12\00:19:43.61
and some of the muscle spasm
00:19:43.64\00:19:46.13
is when they get
their vitamin D level up.
00:19:46.16\00:19:49.03
A good number of
these individuals - in fact,
00:19:49.06\00:19:51.36
the majority in
some studies have been
00:19:51.40\00:19:52.86
shown to be vitamin D deficient.
00:19:52.90\00:19:55.27
They're not bringing
calcium into their body...
00:19:55.30\00:19:57.72
And you may
remember from your physiology
00:19:57.75\00:20:00.12
that if you drop the calcium
level too low in a muscle,
00:20:00.15\00:20:04.64
that muscle
actually goes into tetany.
00:20:04.67\00:20:07.63
In other words it just
kind of seizes up. Exactly!
00:20:07.66\00:20:09.81
It kind of seizes up and
so they are discovering that
00:20:09.84\00:20:12.85
when they take these
women who are D deficient
00:20:12.88\00:20:15.67
who have fibromyalgia and
they replenish the vitamin D,
00:20:15.70\00:20:18.79
that much of their symptoms
are going away and improving
00:20:18.82\00:20:23.46
and so this is something
that you may want to...
00:20:23.49\00:20:25.97
Do men get fibromyalgia as well?
00:20:26.00\00:20:27.37
I think that's true...
probably the majority of women
00:20:27.40\00:20:30.41
get it but I think there
are men that get it as well.
00:20:30.44\00:20:32.38
So for those men or women
that are struggling with this,
00:20:32.41\00:20:35.81
they've had that
diagnosis... GET OUTSIDE!
00:20:35.84\00:20:39.33
Absolutely! Get
outside and make sure...
00:20:39.36\00:20:42.59
Again, it's recommended
that you get about 15 minutes
00:20:42.62\00:20:45.83
on your face, your
hands, and your arms
00:20:45.86\00:20:49.41
at LEAST 3 days a week but
that's just to avoid deficiency,
00:20:49.44\00:20:53.41
that's not to get you
to your optimal level.
00:20:53.44\00:20:55.34
You have a graphic to
show us about osteoporosis
00:20:55.37\00:20:58.17
as it relates to
vitamin D deficiency, right?
00:20:58.20\00:21:00.52
That's correct - there
are researchers who actually
00:21:00.55\00:21:04.91
took women who
were 85 years of age.
00:21:04.94\00:21:08.96
These women were actually
at high risk for osteoporosis
00:21:08.99\00:21:13.93
and hip fractures and
they simply took one group
00:21:13.96\00:21:16.91
and they put them
on a double placebo...
00:21:16.94\00:21:18.98
Which is like a
fake pill. That's right
00:21:19.01\00:21:20.89
It doesn't really do
anything but they take it.
00:21:20.92\00:21:22.61
That's right, it looks
like the study medicine,
00:21:22.64\00:21:24.47
but it has nothing in it.
00:21:24.50\00:21:26.26
Then they put the
other group of women...
00:21:26.29\00:21:27.92
And again, these
were 85-year-old women...
00:21:27.95\00:21:30.26
They're in the
menopause, of course,
00:21:30.29\00:21:32.09
their bones were at risk...
00:21:32.12\00:21:33.49
And they put them
on 1200 mg of calcium,
00:21:33.52\00:21:36.39
and they put them
on 800 IU of vitamin D,
00:21:36.42\00:21:41.24
and they waited a few
years and lo and behold...
00:21:41.27\00:21:44.88
They were able to cut the
risk of these women having a
00:21:44.91\00:21:48.02
hip fracture about 40% if they
took the 1200 mg of calcium,
00:21:48.05\00:21:54.61
and 800 IU of vitamin D.
00:21:54.64\00:21:57.93
AND they were able to
significantly reduce a hormone
00:21:57.96\00:22:02.38
which is parathyroid hormone
and that's a hormone which
00:22:02.41\00:22:06.45
frankly, if you
don't get enough vitamin D,
00:22:06.48\00:22:08.78
the body puts out that hormone
to go to your bones and get
00:22:08.81\00:22:12.21
the calcium and that uses
the calcium from your bones
00:22:12.24\00:22:16.13
to replenish the calcium
level in your bloodstream.
00:22:16.16\00:22:18.65
If you're not bring it
from the gut, the body will go
00:22:18.68\00:22:21.59
to your bones to get it and uses
parathyroid hormone to do it.
00:22:21.62\00:22:23.66
If you get enough vitamin D,
then the body will settle down
00:22:24.62\00:22:27.81
that parathyroid hormone.
00:22:27.84\00:22:29.47
Well many times people
that had these hip fractures
00:22:29.50\00:22:31.66
that's their last major injury
because they go in the hospital
00:22:31.69\00:22:34.73
and they never get
out of the hospital.
00:22:34.76\00:22:36.13
That's exactly right!
00:22:36.16\00:22:37.53
So this is actually putting
off their death - perhaps.
00:22:37.56\00:22:40.14
Absolutely,
that's a VERY good point.
00:22:40.17\00:22:41.98
In fact, I've seen it
myself in treating patients
00:22:42.01\00:22:46.66
who come in from the nursing
home into the hospital with
00:22:46.69\00:22:49.76
a hip fracture and they
NEVER leave the hospital.
00:22:49.79\00:22:53.17
Sometimes they're
taken to a surgery,
00:22:53.20\00:22:55.33
they have to have a hip
pinning and they don't survive
00:22:55.36\00:22:57.83
the surgery because, you
know, you put the patient,
00:22:57.86\00:23:00.22
an elderly
patient, on anesthesia,
00:23:00.25\00:23:02.23
the blood pressure
drops, they could have a stroke.
00:23:02.26\00:23:05.86
It's a serious situation.
00:23:05.89\00:23:07.72
So sunlight - very
simple, but very powerful,
00:23:07.75\00:23:10.69
and something that all of us
can really take advantage of,
00:23:10.72\00:23:15.52
just getting out there
and getting in the sun.
00:23:15.55\00:23:17.88
What about the effect of
having not enough sunlight
00:23:17.91\00:23:21.78
and diabetes - I've heard
that there is some relation
00:23:21.81\00:23:24.15
between those two.
00:23:24.18\00:23:25.55
You know, it was interesting to
study the very important effects
00:23:25.58\00:23:30.56
of vitamin D
00:23:30.59\00:23:31.96
Vitamin D - the major
circulating form of vitamin D is
00:23:31.99\00:23:36.17
what is called
25-hydroxyvitamin D
00:23:36.20\00:23:38.96
The ACTIVE form
is 125-dihydroxy,
00:23:38.99\00:23:44.49
so it's a special formulation
of vitamin D that actually
00:23:44.52\00:23:49.57
does the vitamin
D work in your body,
00:23:49.60\00:23:51.51
and receptors, protein receptors
00:23:51.54\00:23:53.41
for that active
form of vitamin D,
00:23:53.44\00:23:55.09
are ALL over the body.
00:23:55.12\00:23:56.91
They're in the brain.
00:23:56.94\00:23:58.31
They're on the pancreas.
00:23:58.34\00:23:59.71
They're on the beta
cells of the pancreas.
00:23:59.74\00:24:02.34
They're in the intestines.
00:24:02.37\00:24:03.99
They're all through
the body and they're also
00:24:04.02\00:24:06.74
on the white blood cells, the
activated T cells for example,
00:24:06.77\00:24:11.60
and researchers have discovered
that vitamin D is very important
00:24:11.63\00:24:15.69
for modulating
the immune system.
00:24:15.72\00:24:18.60
If you don't have enough
of vitamin D in your body
00:24:18.63\00:24:21.40
because you haven't
been getting enough sunlight,
00:24:21.43\00:24:23.81
your immune system will
actually be hypersensitive.
00:24:23.84\00:24:27.57
It will overreact to
things that aren't enemy,
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.39
but it treats them as
though they were enemy,
00:24:31.42\00:24:33.46
and so individuals who
don't get enough vitamin D
00:24:33.49\00:24:35.61
are higher risk for autoimmune
diseases like type 1 diabetes.
00:24:35.64\00:24:38.94
And type 1 diabetes is caused
because the body fights itself,
00:24:38.97\00:24:41.86
it's own beta cells in
the pancreas and kills them,
00:24:41.89\00:24:44.28
and you're suggesting
that if we get some sunlight,
00:24:44.31\00:24:46.52
we won't - or perhaps those
that would be set up for that
00:24:46.55\00:24:50.65
might not develop it...
You know it's very interesting,
00:24:50.69\00:24:54.75
researchers have taken lab
animals and these lab animals
00:24:54.79\00:24:58.82
are susceptible to type
1 diabetes, for example,
00:24:58.85\00:25:02.48
or they're susceptible
to rheumatoid arthritis,
00:25:02.51\00:25:05.33
and they will go ahead -
and these animals will get those
00:25:05.36\00:25:08.41
diseases because they've been
genetically programmed to do so.
00:25:08.44\00:25:11.78
BUT, if they will give those
lab animals that are susceptible
00:25:11.81\00:25:15.74
to these autoimmune
diseases, type 1 diabetes,
00:25:15.77\00:25:18.38
and rheumatoid arthritis
and they'll give them vitamin D,
00:25:18.41\00:25:21.52
they won't get those diseases.
00:25:21.55\00:25:23.52
And what they've discovered is,
00:25:23.55\00:25:25.53
vitamin D has a suppressing
effect on the immune system,
00:25:25.56\00:25:28.72
but it's not a suppressing
effect that would lead you
00:25:28.75\00:25:32.41
to get more infections.
00:25:32.44\00:25:33.83
It just makes the immune system
better able at determining
00:25:33.86\00:25:37.09
what's friend and what's enemy,
00:25:37.12\00:25:39.06
and so you don't
destroy your own tissues.
00:25:39.09\00:25:41.19
You've convinced me - we've
only got a couple of minutes...
00:25:41.22\00:25:44.05
Can sunlight help
lower the risk of cancer?
00:25:44.08\00:25:46.51
That's absolutely right...
00:25:46.54\00:25:48.63
In fact, what studies
have shown is that individuals
00:25:48.66\00:25:52.50
that have the
highest vitamin D levels,
00:25:52.53\00:25:55.82
and typically these are
individuals who live closer
00:25:55.85\00:25:58.95
to the equator -
they have the lowest risk
00:25:58.98\00:26:01.78
of colon cancer, prostate cancer
00:26:01.81\00:26:04.04
ovarian cancer
and breast cancer.
00:26:04.07\00:26:06.08
Can you get too much vitamin D?
00:26:06.11\00:26:07.52
Yes, you can get
too much vitamin D,
00:26:07.55\00:26:10.30
but ONLY if you
take it as a supplement,
00:26:10.33\00:26:14.10
and you have to take
about 10,000 IU of vitamin D
00:26:14.13\00:26:20.31
every day in order to get toxic.
00:26:20.34\00:26:22.60
So how much vitamin
D do we actually need?
00:26:22.63\00:26:24.89
Let's look at that graphic
in our last minute here...
00:26:24.92\00:26:26.98
Well, you know, there
are a number of different
00:26:27.01\00:26:30.41
authorities out
there that have...
00:26:30.44\00:26:31.81
It says keep it above 30-40.
00:26:31.84\00:26:34.12
Yeah, that's the
25-hydroxyvitamin D level,
00:26:34.15\00:26:37.61
and what we're actually
finding out is that individuals
00:26:37.64\00:26:41.44
who have a 25-hydroxyvitamin
D level - that's the main
00:26:41.47\00:26:45.10
circulating form - if
it gets to about 40-50,
00:26:45.13\00:26:49.06
certainly 30 but
40-50 is even better,
00:26:49.09\00:26:52.33
those individuals have
the lowest risk of cancer -
00:26:52.36\00:26:55.10
colon cancer, prostate
cancer, breast cancer...
00:26:55.13\00:26:57.59
So we want it somewhere between
40 and 50... That's correct
00:26:57.62\00:27:00.27
And not above... Not above 150,
00:27:00.30\00:27:03.42
you can get up to about
100 without any trouble.
00:27:03.45\00:27:06.89
The reference lab will
take you up to about 70...
00:27:06.92\00:27:10.32
Can you get this
test done somewhere?
00:27:10.35\00:27:12.36
Would your local
doctor know how to do it?
00:27:12.39\00:27:14.37
Yes, it's available at
any reference laboratory,
00:27:14.40\00:27:18.55
any standard laboratory will
do a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level.
00:27:18.58\00:27:21.45
MY LEVEL was 15.
15! That's correct
00:27:21.48\00:27:25.46
Boy, I'm surprised
you're alive today!
00:27:25.49\00:27:26.97
In fact, three doctors at
the Lifestyle Center of America
00:27:27.00\00:27:29.81
...one was 13, one was
15 and one was undetectable
00:27:29.84\00:27:32.52
So you're seeing patients
outside now there at the
00:27:32.55\00:27:34.95
Lifestyle Center of America.
Yeah - well, we should be!
00:27:34.98\00:27:37.90
We've been talking
with Dr. Tim Arnott
00:27:37.93\00:27:39.65
We've been
talking about vitamin D
00:27:39.68\00:27:41.52
It's something you can get
most effectively from the sun.
00:27:41.55\00:27:44.61
If you don't know your
level, if you have questions,
00:27:44.64\00:27:46.36
why not get it checked?
00:27:46.39\00:27:47.76
And we hope that as a
result of increasing vitamin D
00:27:47.79\00:27:51.36
in your life in proper ways,
you can have health that is
00:27:51.39\00:27:55.17
BETTER and health
that lasts for a lifetime!
00:27:55.20\00:27:57.69
Thanks for joining us.
00:27:57.73\00:27:59.72