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Lack of Sunlight Could Lead To Early Death

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Members of this community may want to venture out of the basement more often, because Dr. Harald Dobnig and his team have found that vitamin D deficiency leads to increased mortality. These results still hold when they take into account such factors as exercise and heart disease. Low vitamin D status has 'other significant negative effects in terms of incidence of cancer, stroke, sudden cardiac death and death of heart failure,' Dr. Dobnig said. The evidence of ill effects from low vitamin D 'is just becoming overwhelming at this point.' Vitamin D3 is usually produced by exposure to the UV-B in sunlight, but in high latitudes, especially in the fall and winter, insufficient UV-B gets through the atmosphere to produce enough vitamin D3, even with hours of exposure. The researchers are recommending that people at risk for deficiency take 800 IU of vitamin D3 daily. Just don't go overboard — as a fat-soluble vitamin, D3 is more capable of causing adverse effects at unnaturally high dosages. The human body tops out at producing about 10,000 IU per day." According to the Wikipedia entry linked above, the D2 (ergocalciferol) version -- available as a vegan product -- works approximately as well to supply humans with their needed vitamin D.

29 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. Worse in northern hemisphere by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    .. since pollution decreases sunlight penetration, whereas down south we have cleaner air and a lovely big ozone hole.

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    1. Re:Worse in northern hemisphere by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are also fewer roads in the Southern Hemisphere, so less accidents with lorries at night. Particularly over the Pacific Ocean.
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      Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  2. Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    We'll all going to die!

    1. Re:Oh no! by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

      We'll all going to die! Scream a bit louder, then someone walking past the basement might hear you and let you out.
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      Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  3. Re:UVB CPF anyone? by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not like they don't sell UVB 2% up to 10% daylight CPF screw in light bulbs at any decent pet store that carries reptiles. You cold blooded insensitive clod!
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  4. And the sun causes skin cancer. by fyoder · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have this uneasy feeling that sooner or later, we're all going to die.

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  5. Re:first post by umghhh · · Score: 2, Funny

    and outside one may get onto these creatures, they call them women, strangely they all wear clothes and behave differently than in documentaries that we like to watch between coding sessions.

  6. A technological solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Time to add another UV tube to my growing collection of case mods.

  7. Clearly wrong by ianpm · · Score: 5, Funny

    If this were true, then Vampires would die young. But they're immortal. Thus this theory holds no water.

    I should like, totally do science for a living.

    1. Re:Clearly wrong by TuringTest · · Score: 5, Funny

      This may shock you:

      vampires are dead!

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  8. Re:Sunlight by icebike · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder if the UV spectrum light has any other side benefits other than vitamin D. You mean like Goggle Eyes?
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  9. This just in... by Pinchiukas · · Score: 5, Funny

    you should live a healthy life if you don't want to die early.

    1. Re:This just in... by pjt33 · · Score: 2, Funny

      But if living an unhealthy life makes you die young, and only the good die young, isn't it good to live an unhealthy life?

  10. Re:Milk as subsitute? by iamapizza · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only if you're Gisele Bundchen and pour it all over yourself.

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  11. Re:In other news: by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seriously, you only have to go to northern sweden/norway to see this in action. You'll find a combination of zombies and nutcases!

    OK wise guy... now explain California!

  12. decisions decisions by uxbn_kuribo · · Score: 3, Funny

    deathmatch and early death, or exercising and long life... the choice is clear *starts up HL2*

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  13. Skin cancer vs. lung cancer by Jeff+Jungblut · · Score: 3, Funny

    I always stand in the sun when I smoke. Do I break even?

  14. Increased mortality by sctprog · · Score: 2, Funny

    Last I checked the mortality rate was 100%

  15. Re:UVB CPF anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You cold blooded insensitive clod! That would be clod-blooded, I guess.
  16. Re:UVB CPF anyone? by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    You insensitive cold!

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    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  17. Whassat? by John+Pfeiffer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sun...light?

    Now you're just making stuff up!

    I used to believe you, Slashdot. But now you're all 'sun' this, and 'outside' that, like all those other nutbags! Screw you guys! Go ahead, go outside, see if I care! Maybe you'll get eaten by one of those 'wild animal' things you people are always going on about. Like a..uh..what was it...beer? Bar? Oh, right... A bear! Maybe you'll get eaten by a bear! It'd serve you right!

    This post was brought to you by the latter hours of a horrible caffeine bender which failed to see anything accomplished. Enjoy!

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  18. I'm told this study means nothing by MLS100 · · Score: 4, Funny

    My MD said it's nothing to worry about because I'll usually make the saving throw for death from vitamin deficiency due to my high stamina as an ogre.

    Err, wait that was my DM...

    Still, he does play a Cleric.

  19. that's the beauty of the natural world by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    scientists try to scare us about global warming, but nature has a way to balance things out, we don't have to do anything to fight global warming:

    with hotter temperatures, vampires get more sun, thus dying off. with less vampires to prey on pirates, pirate numbers explode, thus lowering global temperatures. with global temperatures down, vampires get less sun, rebound in population, and begin keeping piurate populations in check again

    see the beauty and wonder of the natural world?

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  20. Re:Sunlight by pjt33 · · Score: 4, Funny

    sever sunburns I didn't realise it was possible to get such severe sunburn that your limbs fell off. Ouch.
  21. Re:Bullshit by Moraelin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Going out an hour a day is enough to produce enough vitamin D.

    But we don't wants to, Master. It burnss us. Don't make uss go away from preciouss...

    *huggles his monitor*

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  22. Re:Sunlight by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think for every generation the mortality rate turns out to be about 100%...

  23. Doesn't bother me, I'm white. by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm a perfectly adapted vitamin D producing machine.

  24. Re:first post by One+Childish+N00b · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm from Essex. They behave exactly like that.

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  25. Re:Sunlight by imstanny · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's a difference between sun worshippers and people who go out in the sun, just as there's a difference between binge drinking and a glass of wine on a saturday night. All things in moderation. Including moderation.