Be-Long Corporation’s Blog

A new study finds that lower levels of the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are associated with a higher incidence of lung cancer across 111 countries.

Still, that doesn’t mean that spending more time in the sun will ever offset the risks that come with smoking, according to the study, which is published in the January issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

It’s also not an excuse to trade skin cancer for lung cancer.

“The problem is that people might over-interpret this and stay in the sun for hours,” said Cedric Garland, study senior author, professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and participating member at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center in La Jolla.

Too little sun isn’t great either, however, since sunlight helps the skin manufacture healthy vitamin D. “It would be false prudence to stay out of the sun to prevent skin cancer and not get enough vitamin D,” Garland said.

Other experts, however, feel the focus should stay on cigarette smoking as the number one cause of lung cancer.

“When you have such a strong factor as tobacco, it really weighs out all these other small influences,” said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at the Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. “It’s a very interesting observation, but the main message is tobacco is such a strong influence in the development of lung cancer that we should concentrate on that.”

More than one million people die of lung cancer worldwide each year. Cigarette smoking causes about 85 percent of lung cancers. The remaining cases are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke and a variety of other (some unknown) factors.

Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D, as the sun’s UV rays trigger synthesis of vitamin D in the skin.

Previous research, much of it by the same group, has found a strong association between breast cancer, colon cancer and other internal-organ cancers and living in latitudes with less sunlight. For example, one paper observed double the death rate from colon cancer above the U.S. Mason-Dixon line as below, leading the researchers to focus on lack of sunlight as the culprit.

It wasn’t a new idea. “There were people in epidemiology dating back to Hippocrates who thought it was a good idea to live on the south side of a hill,” Garland said.

Another study linked lower levels of a vitamin D metabolite in the blood with a higher level of colon cancer.

For this study, Garland and his colleagues looked at the association between latitude and exposure to UVB light and rates of lung cancer in 111 countries. Data came from an extensive United Nations database.

Although smoking showed the strongest association with lung cancer, exposure to UVB light also had an impact.

UVB light is greatest closer to the equator. This study showed that lung cancer rates were highest in regions farthest away from the equator and lowest in those regions nearest to it.

Higher cloud cover and aerosol use (both of which absorb UVB rays) were linked with higher rates of lung cancer.

For men, smoking was associated with higher rates of lung cancer, while greater exposure to sunlight was associated with lower rates.

For women, cigarette smoking, along with total cloud cover and aerosol levels, were associated with higher rates of lung cancer, while sunlight was again associated with lower rates.

Previous research has indicated that vitamin D may be able to stop the growth of malignant tumors.

“Everyone should be taking vitamin D, and, at all latitudes, there’s plenty of potential to make vitamin D,” Garland said. “Even in Helsinki, people can take advantage of the sun in summer months.”

And vitamin D produced in the summer will carry over into the winter. Even so, unless you know what your vitamin D levels are, it might be wise to take a supplement, Garland advised.

Vitamin B₆ is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables [1,11]. The table of selected food sources of vitamin B₆ suggests many dietary sources of B₆.

Table of Food Sources of Vitamin B₆ [11]

Food	Milligrams (mg) per serving	% DV*
Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% fortified, ?c	2.00	100
Potato, Baked, flesh and skin, 1 medium	0.70	35
Banana, raw, 1 medium	0.68	34
Garbanzo beans, canned, ?c	0.57	30
Chicken breast, meat only, cooked, ?breast	0.52	25
Ready-to-eat cereal, 25% fortified, ?c	0.50	25
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, 1 packet	0.42	20
Pork loin, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	0.42	20
Roast beef, eye of round, lean only, cooked, 3 oz	0.32	15
Trout, rainbow, cooked, 3 oz	0.29	15
Sunflower seeds, kernels, dry roasted, 1 oz	0.23	10
Spinach, frozen, cooked, ?c	0.14	8
Tomato juice, canned, 6 oz	0.20	10
Avocado, raw, sliced, ?cup	0.20	10
Salmon, Sockeye, cooked, 3 oz	0.19	10
Tuna, canned in water, drained solids, 3 oz	0.18	10
Wheat bran, crude or unprocessed, ?c	0.18	10
Peanut butter, smooth, 2 Tbs.	0.15	8
Walnuts, English/Persian, 1 oz	0.15	8
Soybeans, green, boiled, drained, ?c	0.05	2
Lima beans, frozen, cooked, drained, ?c	0.10	6
* DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help consumers determine if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient. The DV for vitamin B6 is 2.0 milligrams (mg). The percent DV (%DV) listed on the nutrition facts panel of food labels tells you what percentage of the DV is provided in one serving. Percent DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Foods that provide lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.

For the keeping rising price of raw material alcohol, alanine and oxalic acid, the market of Vitamin B6 has been in an upward tendency for some time. Actually, the price will be quickly increased by at least $0.5/kg since now. Hereby notify.

Aspirin is used for:

Treatment of aches and pains associated with headache, common cold, and sore throat and for reduction of fever. It may be used to reduce the risk of death and lessen the damaging effects of an acute heart attack. It is also used to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in certain men and women who have already had a heart attack or ischemic stroke. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by inhibiting several different chemical processes within the body that cause pain, inflammation, and fever. It also reduces the tendency for blood to clot.

Do NOT use Aspirin if:

you are allergic to any ingredient in Aspirin

you are a child or teenager with influenza (flu) or chickenpox

you have bleeding problems such as hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, or low blood platelets

you have active severe bleeding

you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, breathing difficulties, dizziness), to aspirin, salicylates (eg, salsalate), tartrazine, or an NSAID (eg, ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib)

you are taking citrate salts (eg, calcium citrate) or mycophenolate

Before Using Aspirin:

Some medical conditions may interact with Aspirin . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines or other substances
• if you have alcoholism or if you consume 3 or more alcohol containing drinks every day
• if you have asthma, bleeding or clotting problems, growths in the nose (nasal polyps), hives, kidney or liver problems, heart problems, high blood pressure, stomach or intestinal problems (eg, ulcer, inflammation), heartburn, upset stomach, stomach pain, the flu, chickenpox, or vitamin K deficiency
• if you have high levels of calcium, aluminum, or magnesium in your blood
• if you are a child with a stroke, a weakened blood vessel (cerebral aneurysm) or bleeding in the brain, arthritis (rheumatic disease), or Kawasaki syndrome (a rare inflammation causing heart problems in children)
• if you have had your tonsils out or you have had oral (eg, mouth) surgery within the past 7 days

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Aspirin . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (eg, acetazolamide) because they may decrease Aspirin ’s effectiveness
• Anticoagulants (eg, heparin, warfarin), clopidogrel, dicumarol, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (eg, ibuprofen, celecoxib) because the risk of their side effects, including risk of bleeding, may be increased by Aspirin
• Insulin and oral antidiabetics (eg, glyburide, nateglinide) because the risk of their side effects, including low blood sugar (eg, hunger, shakiness or weakness, dizziness, headache, sweating), may be increased by Aspirin
• Citrate salts (eg, calcium citrate) because the risk of toxicity may be increased
• Methotrexate or valproic acid because the risk of their actions and side effects may be increased by Aspirin
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (eg, enalapril), diuretics (eg, furosemide), mycophenolate, penicillamine, probenecid, sulfinpyrazone, or thyroid hormones (eg, levothyroxine) because their effectiveness may be decreased by Aspirin

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Aspirin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.