Book review
Sunshine and Vitamin D: A Comprehensive Guide to the Benefits of the "Sunshine Vitamin"
by Frank Murray
Price: $14.21
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent review of a very important topic, November 8, 2008
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
Frank Murray has done an impressive job amassing a huge quantity of facts, statistics, studies, and testimony of experts which he presents to you in Sunshine and Vitamin D: a comprehensive guide to the benefits of the "Sunshine Vitamin". The main theme can be summarized in these statements:
Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide pandemic
Vitamin D can aid in preventing dozens of serious diseases
Fear of overdose is greatly overblown
Vitamin D is poised to be the nutrient of the decade
Most of the chapters describe how vitamin D affects various medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, MS, etc. The final chapter addresses the critical question how much is too much. (Hint: it is much higher than you will ever have.)
To anyone who has spent more than a few minutes looking into the issue, published research leaves no doubt that vitamin D plays an important role in achieving optimal health. The vitamin D receptor present in the nuclei of cells that constitute most internal organs allows proper functioning when the receptor site bonds with a vitamin D molecule. This condition takes place to an optimal degree when a person has a 25(OH)D blood level around 50 ng/mL, which is why most of us need to supplement with around 5000 international units (IU) daily. Vitamin D is safe even at much higher levels according to those with the most research experience. Although the government cautiously warns against a daily dosage greater than 2000 IU, the experts assert that 2000 IU leaves most people somewhat deficient and therefore vulnerable to many of the serious diseases of modern times. Carefully reading Frank Murray's book will take you far along the road of understanding vitamin D's key role in preventing (and in some cases, treating) disease.
To gain a full understanding of this complex subject it would be wise to read all of these books along with conducting a thorough Internet search for articles in the general press and in medical journals. In my search, I have found no other information source containing a broader range of information on vitamin D than Murray's book. I also appreciate that Frank Murray does not shy away from including tons of numerical data which is essential for achieving a full understanding of Vitamin D's role.
On the flip side, parts of it are not easy to read if you are not into medical jargon. It is a little light on specific suggestions and information you can immediately put into practice. I wish he would do a better job keeping the units understandable, like the conversion between nanograms per milliliter and nanomoles per liter in a vitamin D blood test, or micrograms and international units. In addition, the author makes no attempt to unravel some of the confusing and wildly differing opinions on this subject. He simply presents it and it is up to you to determine who and what to believe.
If there really is a widespread deficiency, and if Vitamin D is safe, free of side effects, inexpensive, and shows a clearly demonstrated ability to help prevent many life-threatening diseases, then common sense should tell you to begin a regimen as a precaution. Before embracing something, the medical community consistently waits until scientific proof of its efficacy is irrefutable. Meanwhile, 1½ million people die per year in the US alone of chronic degenerative disorders, some of which, unnecessarily, if they supplemented with vitamin D. Fortunately, you don't have to wait for the rest of the world to catch up if you are willing to do your homework and take personal responsibility for your health. Reading Sunshine and Vitamin D is an efficient way to join the leading edge of this populist revolution.
Despite a few minor grievances, I gave this book five stars because it presents a wealth of information that everyone everywhere ought to know if they seriously wish to pursue good health and a long disease-free life.