Kirsten WhittakerLevel: Platinum
Kathryn Whittaker is a professional Health Researcher and international Editor of the acclaimed Daily Health Bulletin.Article Word Count: 558[View Summary]Comments (0)
While the most well known benefit of this vitamin is helping to build strong bones, that's just the beginning of what experts are discovering about vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D may well be a breast cancer risk factor with more than half of those with breast cancer have low vitamin D levels according to British researchers. Some experts believe that those with breast cancer should be tested for vitamin D deficiency and given supplements if needed as part of their overall treatment.
There have been studies that suggest a link between low vitamin levels and cancer of the breast and its progression, but other research hasn't backed up the findings.
Breast cancer cells have vitamin D receptors, and when they're triggered by vitamin D, a series of molecular changes slow cell growth and cause cell death. Even if it doesn't have a direct impact on the tumor itself, vitamin D is important for women with breast cancer due to the increasing use of aromatase inhibitors that also bring a higher risk of fractures.
For the current study,the research team collected blood samples from 166 women with breast cancer to measure the levels of vitamin D in the blood. They found that just under 50% had insufficient vitamin D, with levels between 12.5 and 50 nanomoles per liter of blood. Another 6% had vitamin D deficiency with levels under 12.56 nmol/L.
When ethnicity was taken into account, vitamin D levels were lower in Asian women than in others.
Vitamin D is found naturally in foods like fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, beef or calf liver and mushrooms, and in fortified foods like milk, orange juice, yogurt and cereals. If these foods aren't for you, one of the best natural sources of this nutrient is exposure to sunlight - a half hour a day, two times a week without sunscreen.
The researchers theorize that vitamin D levels would be higher in the summertime, when there are more hours of daylight and we're out and about more often. The study did not find an association between vitamin D levels and the season of the year.
In December 2010 the U.S. Institute of Medicine released updated guidelines on calcium and vitamin D intake that suggest that a blood level of 50 nmol/L (or 20 nanograms/milliliter) is enough for 97% of us.
If you've been tested and your levels are lower than this, it might make sense to ask your doctor about vitamin D supplements. Remember not to start supplementing before you speak with your doctor - this isn't a good choice for some people.
One thing troubling many medical professionals is that over the last 20 years Americans levels of vitamin D have dropped dramatically and deficiencies are a common problem among the aging populations.
Research continues to support the idea that getting enough of this powerhouse nutrient is super helpful to the body, not just as a potential protection against breast cancer, but also for improved bone health as well.
If you're worried about having low vitamin D levels, or other breast cancer risks, there are things you can do today to help yourself. Get out in the sunlight... and learn all you can about breast cancer risk factors so you can do what you can to minimize your risk.
FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from Daily Health Bulletin and click the link now to discover more on how to naturally reduce possible breast cancer risk factors and prevent other cancers from taking hold.
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