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Posts with tag VitaminD
Posted Sep 6th 2007 5:45PM by Patricia Mayville-Cox
Filed under: Diets
It is well-known that older, heavier adults have lower blood levels of vitamin D. A new
study from Tufts shows that a lack of sunshine does not seem to be responsible.
The researchers analyzed information on 381 men and women age 65 or older and found no difference in sun exposure among groups based on body fat percentage. The team did find that those with the highest percentage of body fat had 20 percent lower blood levels of vitamin D.
According to Dr. Susan S. Harris, one explanation could be that vitamin D is getting trapped in fat tissue and therefore not available to the blood. It seems that heavier people may need more vitamin D, whether from the sun or supplements.
Posted Sep 3rd 2007 12:53PM by Patricia Mayville-Cox
Filed under: Prostate Cancer
A recent
study published in
The Prostate by Dr. Lagunova and colleagues suggests that the season of prostate cancer diagnosis may be linked with survival. The study showed that men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer and autumn have better survival.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to higher prostate cancer mortality in previous studies. The authors put forth a theory that levels of calcidiol, an intermediate metabolite of Vitamin D, are higher during the summer and autumn and therefore may impact prostate cancer incidence and outcome. The researchers divided Norway into three areas based on sun exposure and documented Vitamin D intake.
The best prognosis for prostate cancer patients were for those diagnosed in the summer and autumn, defined from June to November.
Posted Sep 1st 2007 10:34AM by Patricia Mayville-Cox
Filed under: Skin Cancer
In a recent
column by Dr. Leslie Baumann, Baumann addresses the risks of tanning addiction. According to Baumann, tanning addiction is not 'just in your head'.
Baumann cites a study where doctors used substance-abuse screening techniques to examine frequent beachgoers and found that over 50 percent of the beachgoers in the study showed signs of dependence. Researchers theorize that UV exposure stimulates endorphin-like production and therefore, a sense of heightened well-being. From an evolutionary perspective, this trait would be adaptive as it would encourage adequate levels of vitamin D.
Baumann adds that since we can access adequate vitamin D through supplements now, these are the best bets for those at high-risk for skin cancer. If you're going the sun route, it only takes 20 minutes a day to generate the needed vitamin D levels.
Posted Aug 22nd 2007 2:42PM by Brian White
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, All Cancers, Diets, Nutrition
Ahh, the feeling of the sun's rays on the skin can be so refreshing. Well, as long as you keep that exposure to a certain level and don't overdo it during the bright afternoon hours. A nice side benefit? Sunlight helps your body naturally produce its own Vitamin D.
But did you know that getting the
proper amount of daily vitamin D may help you ward of cancer as well? In a recent spate of research, scientists found that 250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented every year around the world by having those affected with these cancers increase their vitamin D intake. Specifically, vitamin D3.
It's quite a statement to say that 600,000 cancer cases per year could be eliminated by increasing vitamin D intake, but that's the conclusion here. Pardon me while I walk outside and get some sunlight for 10 minutes.
Posted Aug 12th 2007 6:35PM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Environment, Vitamins and nutrients
Though spending time in the sun is generally considered a bad thing as far as skin cancer goes, it can help
prevent breast cancer.
A study shows that women who stay inside more often are at a high risk for breast cancer than those who spend time outside. What's more, breast cancer is less prevalent closer to the equator, where sunlight is more common. The key ingredient is the valuable Vitamin D that exposure to the sun provides, though I would be interested to know if it makes a difference whether people get natural vitamin D from the sunlight or if similar health benefits could be derived simply from staying inside and taking vitamin D supplements. I tend to think that people who get outside are generally healthier overall than those who are housebound.
This isn't the green light to spend your days cooking your skin under the hot sun in the hopes of achieving that golden brown glow, though. While sunlight in important, it's also important to take precautions in the sunlight, like covering up and wearing sunscreen.
Posted Aug 12th 2007 5:28PM by Patricia Mayville-Cox
Filed under: Diets, Vitamins and nutrients
Postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may reduce their risk of cancer, according to a
report published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study was a randomized controlled trial. This is in contrast to many earlier studies that show that vitamin D is protective against cancer, but were only observational trials.
The researchers found that women who took both calcium (1400-1500 mg/day) and vitamin D (1100 IU vitamin D3/day) had a lower incidence of cancer than those who took the placebo. There were 13 cases among the 446 women who took the supplements versus 20 cases among 288 women who took the placebo during the four year period.
Posted Jun 11th 2007 9:21AM by Brian White
Filed under: All Cancers, Vitamins and nutrients
As
Jacki pointed out here, it appears that vitamin D consumption can lead to a lowered risk of breast cancer development, as a new study has found that
vitamin D does indeed help lower the risk of cancer (beyond just breast cancer).
What intrigued me about this research is that vitamin D supplements are not being discussed as part of a prevention program. I've always been of the mind that high levels of isolated nutrients may not be good for the human body at all (or be completely ineffective), and the attention to not using vitamin D supplements in the wake of this news confirm this line of thinking.
In general, the working together of several vitamins and minerals at the same time in the body generally gives the best and more preventative results. In
the case of vitamin D, a little walk in the sun each day can help your body form its own -- and it's free.
Posted May 22nd 2007 12:30PM by Riana Weis
Filed under: Skin Cancer, Environment
A reader , Jim Waldenfels, commented on my recent
post on protecting children's skin now to prevent skin cancer later. He made a good point on the necessity of Vitamin D to protect against other cancers.
I have also written about this dilemma in my post of
May 14th. We have to make sure that we look at research with a questioning mind and weigh the risks and benefits. The article I quoted in my post, about the flip side of sun protection, seems to feel that it is worth the risk of contracting skin cancer to prevent other cancers. The writer felt that most skin cancers are easily treatable, whereas other cancers might not be.
It might be true up to a point, but there are certainly types of skin cancer that are very serious and that can lead to metastases which might not be so easily treatable. Supplements might be of benefit, but we need further research into how much is safe to take and whether it truly gives the same benefit as unprotected sun exposure.
I do believe that awareness is key and I thank our readers for their thought provoking comments. We love to hear from you, especially from those readers that have been affected by cancer, as we can learn from your experience.
Posted May 14th 2007 1:00PM by Riana Weis
Filed under: Skin Cancer, Melanoma, Prevention, Environment
In two recent posts, one published on
May 8 and one on
May 9, blogger Jacki Donaldson
writes about the new recommendations for covering up to prevent skin cancer. As I was reading this, I thought that it made a lot of sense and that I should certainly pay more attention to what I am wearing and how much sunscreen I wear when I am outside. Good advice, right?
Maybe not. I have read a couple of articles recently that talk about Vitamin D deficiency and studies that point to this deficiency leading to cancer. The
Globe and Mail reported that there is a U.S. study that will announce the first direct link between cancer prevention and Vitamin D. They found that women had about a 60 percent reduction in cancer when they took the vitamin as opposed to those who did not .
The problem with Vitamin D is that it is made when we have unprotected sun exposure -- the recommendation is 10 to 15 minutes a day. It is a problem because the same sunlight that makes Vitamin D causes skin cancer.
Continue reading The flip side of sun protection
Posted Dec 27th 2006 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Prostate Cancer, Research, Daily news
Canadian and international researchers suspect adding a high-dose vitamin D pill to chemotherapy might improve treatment for advanced prostate cancer. So they are recruiting 1,000 men for a two-year clinical trial in order to investigate their suspicions. Currently, there is little to offer patients who no longer respond to to standard treatment.
The trial will test the pill
calcitriol -- a biologically active form of vitamin D and naturally occurring hormone -- to see how it works in combination with the chemotherapy drug docetaxel. Precautions will be taken to minimize side effects that can occur with high-dose supplements.
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 20,700 men in Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. About 4,200 of these men are expected to die from the disease.
Posted Oct 17th 2006 10:33AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention, Vitamins and nutrients
Women with advanced breast cancer were found to have lower levels of vitamin D when compared to women with early-stage breast cancer, leading researchers to conclude that vitamin D might play a role in slowing the progression of breast cancer.
Imperial College London researchers are not certain if the lower level of vitamin D found in women with advanced breast cancer is the result of the cancer, or one of the factors promoting the progression of the breast cancer, only that there appears to be a connection.
This adds to the body of knowledge that women living in northern climates, where there is less year-round sun exposure, are more prone to developing breast cancer.
One of the natural ways to get vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight. Also, women can get vitamin D from fortified milk and dairy products, cod liver oil and fatty fish, such as salmon. Previous research has indicated that vitamin D might play a role in the prevention in a number of cancers. For related information into research conclusions regarding vitamin D:
Posted Sep 13th 2006 11:30AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Pancreatic Cancer, Prevention, All Cancers, Research, Vitamins and nutrients
In two large studies, vitamin D have been found to have a significant effect in reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer. According to Northwestern University researchers, their
study is one of the first known studies to use a large-scale epidemiological survey to examine the relationship between vitamin D supplements and cancer of the pancreas.
Previous research and researchers have gone so far as to state that exposure to solar ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, which causes the body to manufacture vitamin D, might reduce the
risk of 16 types of cancer. "Enhancing vitamin D status appears to be the single most important simple thing people can do to reduce their risk of cancer, apart from avoiding tobacco and moderation in the intake of alcohol."
Because of concern regarding prolonged exposure to the sun and skin cancer risks, and for those living in northern climates, it seems reasonable to conclude that perhaps the sensible alternative is a daily vitamin D supplement. However, if you are a cancer patient undergoing treatment, you should check with your physician before embarking on any supplement program.
Posted Mar 23rd 2006 2:33PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, Colon and Rectal Cancer, Prevention
Vitamin D is known for its anticancer properties as a cancer prevention vitamin, however, it is not water-soluble, and
in large doses, can be toxic. We derive most of our Vitamin D from exposure to the sun. Research has proven that the
risk of developing colon cancer is lower in people who live in sunny climates. Other sources of Vitamin D include
fish-liver oils, egg yolk, and fortified milk. Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
researchers believe they may be able to separate the anticancer
properties of Vitamin D from the rest of the vitamin.
“We found that we might be able to separate the
two functions at the molecular level, and this raises the possibility that vitamin D can be chemically modified into a
drug that will only have anticancer effects,” said Professor Stephen Byers, Ph.D. He and Salimuddin Shah,
Ph.D.
"If a drug mimic of vitamin D can be developed, it could prove useful in preventing some cancers
at their earliest stages, but would probably not offer any therapeutic benefit for later stage cancers," Byers
said. “That’s because we know that by the time colon cancer is well advanced it fails to respond to vitamin
D.”
