How does sunlight alter nutrient needs?

[Curt :-)]

Heading into summer down under and it's gonna be a big one. Music festivals and such!

What nutrients do I need more (or less) of when my sun exposure increases significantly? I recall someone mentioning vitamin A, but I can't find the thread. Thank you in advance!

 

[Mittir]

RP recommends that we avoid the high UV radiation exposure. I believe there are websites
that gives specific hours of high UV exposure at certain cities. It is generally around noon,
from10/11 am to 2/3 PM. Sun burn is the sign that you had a lot of UV. He recommends
anti-serotonin drugs for sunburn. UV interacts with PUFA under the skin and that
amplifies the damage. He recommends applying coconut oil to minimize that damage.
(I apply coconut oil all over my body before i take a quick shower without soap
and this leaves a thin coating of coconut oil on the skin. It is an Ayurvedic way of oil application. It feels a lot more comfortable than thick sticky layer of oil)
Idea is to get sunlight without getting sunburn.Red spectrum in sun light increases
steroid production in skin, skin is one of the largest endocrine organ, and
that increases vitamin A requirements. You will probably need more nutrients
to support increased metabolism from red light. I vaguely remember him talking
about applying Aspirin solution and Niacinamide solution on skin.
IIRC Dan Wich has a thread on use of Aspirin water as sun screen.

 

[Curt :-)]

Thank you for your response Mittir.
Do you happen to know roughly how much vitamin A I should get along side daily sun exposure?
For context; I'm am mildly hypo, diet is mostly low fat milk and sugar, with salt, juice, some eggs and oysters, coffee.
Oh, and I'm in Australia where the UV is apparently higher than other parts of the world.

 

[Mittir]

I do re light therapy with 500 watts of incandescent bulbs. I do not feel good
without 6-10 oz of beef liver weekly. I have strong cravings for liver.
I use this craving as a guidance for vitamin A intake. RP has mentioned that
for a person with good thyroid health 10,000 IU is a good intake.
You should get at least 5,000 IU daily on average. Rest will depend on
how you feel and if taking extra vitamin A make you feel better or worse.
Since vitamin A has a long half life you can take a weekly or bi-weekly serving
and not worry about it taking everyday.

 

[narouz]

RP has mentioned that for a person with good thyroid health 10,000 IU is a good intake.

What about for a person with poor thyroid health?
This has been a stumbling block for me.
I know Peat says that Vitamin A can push someone who has weak thyroid
into a hypo state, right?
On the other hand, if you're hypo, getting a lot of sun...
seems like you still need to get the Vitamin A...

Thoughts on this, Mittir?

 

[Mittir]

@narouz

RP has mentioned that an average hypothyroid person needs about
5,000 IU . which is same as RDA. RDA usually goes for minimum requirement.
You need vitamin A to convert cholesterol to protective hormones like
progesterone. If i were i would make sure i am getting at least 5000 IU
and rest will depends on bat signals. If you are doing red light therapy
and your are getting less vitamin A than you need, you will feel better
when you get extra vitamin A. I have found i am doing fine with around 10,000.

 

[narouz]

@narouz

RP has mentioned that an average hypothyroid person needs about
5,000 IU . which is same as RDA. RDA usually goes for minimum requirement.
You need vitamin A to convert cholesterol to protective hormones like
progesterone. If i were i would make sure i am getting at least 5000 IU
and rest will depends on bat signals. If you are doing red light therapy
and your are getting less vitamin A than you need, you will feel better
when you get extra vitamin A. I have found i am doing fine with around 10,000.

Thanks, Mittir.
Did you say...bat signals...?
I hope that is not a typo,
because I very much like the idea of cultivating my bat radar.

 

[Curt :-)]

So the vitamin A I have is 10,000IU per cap so I only took 1 cap per day for 4 days. Couldn't sleep; kept having vivid, somewhat unpleasant dreams that shocked me awake. Felt like the stress hormones were increased.
I guess that's too much for me. I'll have to look for a supplement with only 5000IU as I physically can't do liver.

 

[Mittir]

RP used Nutrisorb-A on his skin. You could try that next time.
Since absorption rate is lower through skin you can use 10,000 IU
skin and see if it feels better. You can also break the capsule and take
half of the 10k or take 10 k every other day.

 

[sm1693]

@Curt

I had the exact same experience (stressful dreams, heart palpitations) about 6 months ago while taking 2 different types of vitamin A supplement pills. I believe it is either an allergic reaction to the synthetic type of retinol palmitate used or maybe a reaction to impurities created by the process used in the cheaper supplements.

Recently, I have taken Nutrisorb A once or twice and I did not have the same reaction. I got the Nutrisorb only to use in a travel situation when I wouldn't have access to frozen grass-fed beef liver though. Liver has NEVER given me the stress symptoms that the pills did and it tastes delightful (NOT!)

BTW on a personal note, I find it interesting that I am drawn to give my time to help a fellow Peatian. Normally, I am very demanding and not apt to give unnecessarily. Perhaps I feel a closer connection to this forum because it is now the only website I ever visit, or perhaps, I now realize that the "secret" to a lifetime of happiness will only come from ingested substances and not from wealth, power, or women directly. Ingested substances decide the behavior of the person and the behavior decides the life results. WTF! What the hell is life if this is true...? Where would I be now if Serotonin and high stress hormones hadn't taken over my life in the early teenage years...

"Can you imagine if we had [Ray Peat] when we were twelve?"
"Even better, we got [him] when we're forty!"
--Step Brothers--