Vitamin D Is In The News Again - Slashing Cancer Risk By Up To 77%!

06/13/07

By Nurse Mark

We have said it before, and will say it again - Vitamin D (and healthy sunshine) are vital to good health! There is a growing body of evidence that a higher intake of vitamin D may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of cancer, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Now there is even more evidence in the form of a study reported in the June 8 online edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which says that most Americans are not taking enough vitamin D, a fact that may put them at significant risk for developing cancer, according to a landmark study conducted by Creighton University School of Medicine.

The four-year study followed 1,179 women from Nebraska who took calcium, as well as a quantity of vitamin D3 nearly three times the U.S. government's Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) for middle-age adults, and found that the women who received 1,400-1,500 mg supplemental calcium plus 1,100 IU of vitamin D3 showed a dramatic 60 percent or greater reduction in cancer risk than women who did not get the vitamin.

Further, thinking that some women might have entered the study with undiagnosed cancers, researchers then eliminated the first-year results and looked at the last three years of the study. When they did that, the results became even more dramatic with the calcium/vitamin D3 group showing a startling 77 percent cancer-risk reduction.

"The findings are very exciting. They confirm what a number of vitamin D proponents have suspected for some time but that, until now, have not been substantiated through clinical trial," said principal investigator Joan Lappe, Ph.D., R.N. "Vitamin D is a critical tool in fighting cancer as well as many other diseases."

Humans make their own vitamin D3 when they are exposed to sunlight. In fact, only 10-15 minutes a day in a bright summer sun creates large amounts of the vitamin, Lappe said. However, people need to exercise caution since the sun's ultraviolet B rays also can cause skin cancer; sunscreen blocks most vitamin D production.

In addition, the latitude at which you live and your ancestry also influence your body's ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D. People with dark skin have more difficulty making the vitamin. Persons living at latitudes north of the 37th parallel -- Omaha, Nebraska is near the 41st parallel -- cannot get their vitamin D naturally during the winter months because of the sun's angle. Experts generally agree that the RDA for vitamin D needs to be increased substantially, however there is debate about the amount. Supplements are available in two forms -- vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Creighton researchers recommend vitamin D3, because it is more active and thus more effective in humans.
 

Nurse Mark Notes: A Daily Dose of MaxiMultis contains 400 IU of Vitamin D3 and 1000 mg of calcium. MyPacks contain 500 IU of Vitamin D3 and 900 mg of calcium daily. Dr. Myatt's Vitamin D contains 1000 IU per tablet. All our Vitamin D is of the more desirable D3 or cholecalciferol form.

Hard on the heels of this study comes the following news from Canada - that nirvana of socialized medicine...

Canadian Cancer Society Announces Vitamin D Recommendation

The Canadian Cancer Society is recommending a specific amount of Vitamin D supplementation for Canadians to consider taking. This first-time recommendation is based on the growing body of evidence about the link between Vitamin D and reducing risk for colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.

“The evidence is still growing in this area, but we want to give guidance to Canadians about this emerging area of cancer prevention based on what we know now,” says Heather Logan, Director, Cancer Control Policy, Canadian Cancer Society. “As we find out more we will update our recommendation.”

In consultation with their healthcare provider, the Society is recommending that:

• Adults living in Canada should consider taking Vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 international units (IU) a day during the fall and winter.
• Adults at higher risk of having lower Vitamin D levels should consider taking Vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 IU/day all year round. This includes people:

 “We’re recommending 1,000 IUs daily because the current evidence suggests this amount will help reduce cancer risk with the least potential for harm,” says Logan. “More research is needed to clearly define the amount of Vitamin D that will maximize health benefits.”

“Where a person lives is one important factor in how much Vitamin D they can produce from the sun. Because of our country’s northern latitude, the sun’s rays are weaker in the fall and winter and Canadians don’t produce enough Vitamin D from sunlight during this time.”

Research findings announced today add to the mounting evidence in this area. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that taking Vitamin D supplements and calcium substantially reduces all-cancer risk in post menopausal women. Specifically, the researchers found that the higher the levels of Vitamin D in the blood, the lower the relative risk of developing cancer. As well, another study released in May, suggests that women who consume more calcium and vitamin D may be less likely to develop breast cancer before menopause.

Logan says a large-scale clinical trial would help provide more answers about the amount of Vitamin D needed to maximize health benefits, and the long-term risks, if any, of taking large doses of the vitamin.

“The Canadian Cancer Society is looking seriously at what we can do to make this research happen. We will also be talking to our partners about this. We need to keep building on our knowledge about this important area of cancer prevention.”

And Yet More Canadian Support For Vitamin D...

The Canadian Dermatology Association recently updated its recommendations about Vitamin D supplementation. The association’s website says: “In order to lessen the health risks associated with skin cancer yet still reap the known and possible benefits of Vitamin D levels take 1,000 international units of Vitamin D supplements a day.”

So Why Do The American Cancer Society, The AMA, and the FDA not join this move to embrace a natural substance that has been shown to prevent cancer? One can only guess - perhaps it has something to do with the profitability of the "Cancer Industry"... after all, the profit of a few pennies worth of Vitamin D3 pales in comparison to the profits garnered from a single $17,000 chemotherapy treatment...

References

Creighton Study Shows Vitamin D Reduces Cancer Risk http://www2.creighton.edu/publicrelations/newscenter/news/2007/june2007/june82007/vitamind_cancer_nr060807/index.php

Canadian Cancer Society Announces Vitamin D Recommendation 8 June 2007 http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/mediareleaselist/0,3208,3172_1613121606_1997621989_langId-en,00.html