For decades now, experts and scientists all over the world have been exerting their efforts in finding the cure for cancer. Unfortunately, even after years of research, up to now, there’s still no absolute cure for cancer — the dreaded disease, is treatable, though.
Since we haven’t found a cure for cancer yet, the best thing for us to do is to take care of our bodies in order to prevent more cases of cancer. Aside from studies dedicated to finding cancer cure, experts are also looking for ways of reducing cancer risks.
Over the years, numerous research have uncovered a possible link between Vitamin D and lowering the risks of cancer.
But first, let’s talk about Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is a vital part of a person’s nutrition as it helps in keeping the bones, teeth, and skin healthy. Vitamin D can be acquired from exposure to sunlight and eating foods with healthy fats such as fish and fish liver oil.
And now, this important vitamin is linked to lowering cancer risks. Among the studies that discovered the connection was done by Kirsten Trukova, a nutritionist, together with her team in Phoenix, Arizona.
The study found out that patients with stage IV prostate cancer who have sufficient levels of vitamin D had a higher survival rate after about two years as compared to the cancer patients with inadequate levels of vitamin D.
Also, on a publication on National Center for Biotechnology Information or NCBI page, there were several studies made on different types on cancer — and many of these studies have found the potential connection between Vitamin D and cancer:
1. On 20 of the 20 studies about colon cancer, it was discovered that the rates of death due to colon cancer in areas with high sunlight exposure are significantly lower than the number or death cases from colon cancer in areas that receive low sunlight.
2. Out of the 13 studies conducted about breast cancer, nine have found a relationship between lower risks of breast cancer and sunlight, which is a good source of Vitamin D.
3. Five out of seven studies for ovarian cancer revealed that there are higher mortality rates linked to ovarian cancer in locations with lower regional sunlight.
4. There were 26 studies made for prostate cancer, and 13 of them discovered that people from sunny locations have lower risks of prostate cancer.
Aside from these, there were studies conducted by Creighton University and the University of California which revealed that Vitamin D reduces cancer risks by 33%.
However, despite all these findings, the theory that Vitamin D can genuinely lower risks of cancer still needs more proof. Particularly because there were also research made that showed no real connection between Vitamin D and cancer.
Even National Cancer Institute said that more trials are needed to finally establish that Vitamin D is truly capable of preventing cancer.
The search for cancer prevention is still a work in progress, but there’s no denying that Vitamin D plays an essential role in keeping us healthy. In fact, in July 2016, Public Health England encouraged people to bask in the sun and even take Vitamin D supplements.
Still, we need to take everything in moderation — including Vitamin D intake. Excessive amount of Vitamin D in the system or Vitamin D toxicity, can result in buildup of calcium in your blood.
So what are the recommended dosage of Vitamin D intake?
According to the National Cancer Institute, if you have low exposure to sunlight, and you are within the age range of 1 – 70 years old, the recommended intake of Vitamin D is 15 micrograms, once a day. But, if you’re over 70 years old, it would be 20 micrograms daily.
Or you can always turn to natural sources of Vitamin D, like fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel. Egg yolk, cereals, juices, beef liver, and soy milk are also rich in Vitamin D.
While more research are needed to completely prove that Vitamin D can stop cancer, for the time being, we can do our best in making sure we live a healthier life to the fullest.
(Note: This article is for informational purposes only and not to be treated as an expert opinion. If you’re dealing with any of these signs & symptoms or know someone who does, it’s important to always consult with your doctor or a specialist.)