Last December, Spanking FIT discussed the abundant health benefits of practicing nude sunbathing at nude beaches, which we attribute primarily to the Vitamin D/ sunshine connection. We outlined the biological mechanism by which our bodies use sunshine to manufacture Vitamin D3 specifically, and its importance in mineralizing bone, bone growth, and in bone transformation. We performed a statistical meta analysis of previously published clinical trial results and uncovered further evidence supporting the claim that Vitamin D may significantly lower cancer mortality rates and risk of development in women and in men. (See: “Male with Low T? Try Nude Sunbathing“, Dec. 2014) We also presented evidence to support the unproven hypothesis that, contrary to popular medical opinion, moderate exposure of human private parts such as breasts and genitalia to the sun, may be beneficial in preventing skin cancer. Finally, we discussed a potential link between Vitamin D and testosterone production by reviewing relevant research conducted at University of Graz, Austria. The implications of their study are that men may be able to safely and naturally increase their T-levels through adequate exposure to the sun. In this current segment, Spanking FIT discusses another potentially important benefit of adequate sunlight exposure for women and men alike; i.e. safe and natural increases in serum Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1); but, first let’s review the topic of IGF-1.
What exactly is IGF-1 and why has it received lots of publicity lately?
Manufactured and secreted by the liver, IGF-1 is a protein that is known to exert significant growth-promoting influences on almost every cell in the body. This covers skeletal, muscle, cartilage, and bone tissue. It also regulates cell growth and development of nerve cells and plays a vital role in cellular D.N.A. synthesis. There is also evidence that it plays an important role in the regulation of spermatogenesis in the testes; and, hence strongly influences male fertility.
IGF-1 has gained considerable notoriety lately due to the fact that numerous physicians have in recent years been administering IGF-1 to their patients allegedly to counter the effects of aging. Legitimate concerns, however, have been raised that by introducing the protein intravenously and therefore unnaturally, patients undergoing “treatment” may be at a heightened risk of contracting certain forms of cancer. (See: “Prospective Study of Colorectal Cancer Risk in Men and Plasma Levels of IGF-1” by J.Ma et al. published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute 1999: 620-25.)
In the world of Sports, illegal administration of IGF-1 by team physicians and others as a performance-enhancing drug has made international headlines, further contributing to giving it a “bad name”. (See: “Why Not Allow Lance Armstrong to Dope?“ Spanking FIT, Nov. 2014)
It is Spanking FIT’s unproven theory that when IGF-1 is produced naturally by the liver in conjunction with its transport protein IGFB-3, that cancer risks are minimized and its benefits fully realized. IGFB-3 is known to play an important role in apoptosis of malignant cells so that its presence is associated with decreased, and not increased cancer risk. (Please refer to the same journal publication above)
Sunshine exposure increases IGF-1 levels naturally
In “Vitamin D increases circulating IGF1 in adults” by P. Ameri, et al., University of Genoa, Italy which was published in the European Journal of Endocrinology, Dec. 2013; 169: 767-772 , some statistical evidence is presented that both women and men may obtain IGF-1 enhancement and its benefits naturally through sunshine exposure. The results are based on a randomized clinical trial that involved 39 patients who were randomly assigned to one of three categories: no treatment, 5000 I.U. Vitamin D3 per week, or 7000 I.U. Vitamin D3 per week. Baseline serum IGF-1 measurements were taken before vitamin supplementation, and were repeated twelve weeks after beginning supplementation. The results revealed statistically significant differences among the three groups as a result of the standard statistical Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) methods applied. Fisher’s post hoc test, which generally produces satisfactory results in the case of only three categories, revealed that the patients specifically who received the 7000 I.U. per week had their serum IGF-1 levels raised significantly (mean increase of 31.3 micrograms per liter).
A study weakness, in our opinion, was that the researchers measured IGF-1 levels only, and did not include IGFBP-3 levels, also. (As previously stated, IGFBP-3 has been associated with decreased cancer risk.) Also, larger sample sizes should have been used. Nevertheless, Spanking FIT believes that if these results are validated, an important inference may be made by combining them with those of another (“Estimated Equivalent of Vitamin D production from Natural Skin Exposure” by V. Teruskin which was published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology in 2010): Significant increases in IGF-1 levels are attainable safely and naturally for both women and men through moderate sunshine exposure. For example, for persons having Fitzpatrick skin type III (those who sometimes burn and sometimes tan when exposed to sun), it is possible to obtain the equivalent IGF-1 enhancement of the Genoa study (approximately 31 micrograms per liter) with 26% body surface area exposure at New England latitude for about twenty minutes per day during midday in the summer. A 31 microgram per liter increase is substantial, and represents an approximately 25% increase over the mean IGF-1 level for men and women ages 55-67 years old! (see: “Normal values of serum IGF-1 in adults...” by P. Rosario in Journal of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism; 2010: 54/5.)
For even quicker and safer results, get busy sunbathing nude! Believe me, it’s a lot more enjoyable than waiting in any doctor’s office for an injection. To find a suitable location, you may refer to our “International Nude Beach Evaluation“. As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback. Doctor Garrett
