Breeden Hamer (bha…@pacifier.com) wrote:
: I am going to make a guess about your sunlight hypothesis. Generally
: speaking, the closer one is to the equator, the harder he works the
: poorer he is. This tends the diet toward bulky foods, lessens obesity,
: increases exercise, etc.. Additionally, the average age of folks in the
: tropic climes is less than those north of the Tropic of Capicorn. All of
: these factors would naturally affect the incidence of prostate woes in
: the general population.
By now you will have seen the statistics on the thread:
Men’s Health and Prostate Cancer Programmes
showing the difference in the various cities in New Zealand, all of which
is a fairly temperate climate. I mean to get the UV data as well as the
sunshine hours, but even the ordinary daylight may play a part. Dunedin
has short winter days and long summer days when, with daylight saving, it
is not really dark till 10 pm?
It would be interesting to do a study controlling for the factors you
mention. And what would be the result of a study controlling for actual
light factors, rather than just taking cities as I have done?
As for melanoma, isn’t that due to irregular UV exposure? Note that
Dunedin figures are worse than Christchurch. It’s puzzling that melanoma
does not always occur on exposed parts of the body. There are other skin
cancers, too of course.
And I wonder what part vitamin D has to play in this (UV helps produce
it)? I think the research says it is anti-cancer. But too much
supplementation may cause spine trouble or cerebrospinal hypertension if
it goes with the vit A from fish liver oil of high content like halibut in
excess. And that may affect the nerves to the urinary – genital organs.
Brian Sandle. Shell to snail? bsan…@southern.co.nz