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Vitamin D's days of obscurity seem pretty much over. Once just an afterthought to most people-relegated to the sides of milk cartons and the pages of medical texts-it's now on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged disease prevention star. Although vitamin D has long been known as an important factor in bone health, a quickly growing body of evidence now shows that it may also help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and even premature death.[1], [2] Not surprisingly, scientists and the public have started to take note, particularly of vitamin D's potential to protect against cancer

MedWire News: Serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) play a role in prostate cancer disease progression and are a potential prognostic indicator, Norwegian study findings suggest.

Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):18-28. Review. PMID: 16825677

A nested case control study of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and risk of colorectal cancer. Wu K, Feskanich D, Fuchs CS, Willett WC, Hollis BW, Giovannucci EL. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 18;99(14):1120-9. Epub 2007 Jul 10. PMID: 17623801

Vitamin D and prevention of colorectal adenoma: a meta-analysis.\nWei MY, Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB, Giovannucci E.\nCancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Nov;17(11):2958-69.\nPMID: 18990737

Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.\nHolick MF.\nAm J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71. Review. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):890.\nPMID: 14985208

Gorham ED, Garland CF, Garland FC, Grant WB, Mohr SB, Lipkin M, Newmark HL, Giovannucci E, Wei M, Holick MF. Optimal vitamin D status for colorectal cancer prevention: a quantitative meta analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2007 Mar;32(3):210-6. PMID: 17296473 [

Ecological studies of ultraviolet B, vitamin D and cancer since 2000. Grant WB, Mohr SB. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):446-54. Epub 2009 Mar 9. PMID: 19269856 CONCLUSION: These findings provide strong evidence that vitamin D status plays an important role in controlling the outcome of cancer. Support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer theory is now scientifically strong enough to warrant use of vitamin D in cancer prevention, and as a component of treatment. More research studies would help to explore whether there are benefits beyond the substantial effects that have been observed.

Serum Vitamin D and Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Case-Control Analysis Nested Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Travis RC, Crowe FL, Allen NE, Appleby PN, Roddam AW, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Linseisen J, Kaaks R, Boeing H, Kröger J, Trichopoulou A, Dilis V, Trichopoulos D, Vineis P, Palli D, Tumino R, Sieri S, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, van Duijnhoven FJ, Chirlaque MD, Barricarte A, Larrañaga N, González CA, Argüelles MV, Sánchez MJ, Stattin P, Hallmans G, Khaw KT, Bingham S, Rinaldi S, Slimani N, Jenab M, Riboli E, Key TJ. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19359375 doi:10.1093/aje/kwp022

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency despite supplementation in premenopausal women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Crew KD, Shane E, Cremers S, McMahon DJ, Irani D, Hershman DL. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 1;27(13):2151-6. Epub 2009 Apr 6. PMID: 19349547 DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2008.19.6162 Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in women with breast cancer. The current recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is too low to increase serum 25-OHD greater than 30 ng/mL. Optimal dosing for bone health and, possibly, improved survival has yet to be determined.

Evidence from clinical trials shows, with a wide margin of confidence, that a prolonged intake of 10,000IU/d of vitamin D3 poses no risk of adverse effects for adults, even if this is added to a rather high physiologic background level of vitamin D. Vitamin D and cancer mini-symposium: the risk of additional vitamin D. Vieth R.\nAnn Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):441-5. Epub 2009 Apr 11. PMID: 19364661 doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.01.009

A large number of new vitamin D studies have appeared in the scientific literature since I wrote my plea to the federal government. These studies don't just confirm what we knew 16 months ago-they show that optimizing vitamin D intake will save even more lives than what we projected. Vitamin D More Effective Than Previously Known For instance, a study published in June 2008 showed that men with low vitamin D levels suffer 2.42 times more heart attacks. Now look what this means in actual body counts.

Ecological Studies Of Ultraviolet B, Vitamin D And Cancer Since 2000. Grant WB, Mohr SB. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19269856 doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.12.014

Review article: vitamin D acquisition and breast cancer risk. Pérez-López FR, Chedraui P, Haya J. Reprod Sci. 2009 Jan;16(1):7-19. Review. PMID: 19144887 DOI: 10.1177/1933719108327595 Conclusions: Although there are controversial results, it seems plausible that sufficient endogenous vitamin D levels may have a protective function on mammary cells, reducing breast cancer risk.

Association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer risk. Crew KD, Gammon MD, Steck SE, Hershman DL, Cremers S, Dworakowski E, Shane E, Terry MB, Desai M, Teitelbaum SL, Neugut AI, Santella RM. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Jun;2(6):598-604. Epub 2009 May 26. PMID: 19470790 In summary, these results add to a growing body of evidence that adequate vitamin D stores may prevent breast cancer development. Whereas circulating 25-OHD levels of >32 ng/mL are associated with normal bone mineral metabolism, our data suggest that the optimal level for breast cancer prevention is ≥40 ng/mL. Well-designed clinical trials are urgently needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation is effective for breast cancer chemoprevention.

Calcium, vitamin D and cancer. Peterlik M, Grant WB, Cross HS. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3687-98. Review. PMID: 19667166

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and colon cancer: eight-year prospective study. Garland CF, Comstock GW, Garland FC, Helsing KJ, Shaw EK, Gorham ED. Lancet. 1989 Nov 18;2(8673):1176-8. PMID: 2572900 Blood samples taken in 1974 in Washington County, Maryland, from 25 620 volunteers were used to investigate the relation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) with subsequent risk of getting colon cancer. 34 cases of colon cancer diagnosed between August, 1975, and January, 1983, were matched to 67 controls by age, race, sex, and month blood was taken. Risk of colon cancer was reduced by 75% in the third quintile (27-32 ng/ml) and by 80% in the fourth quintile (33-41 ng/ml) of serum 25-OHD. Risk of getting colon cancer decreased three-fold in people with a serum 25-OHD concentration of 20 ng/ml or more. The results are consistent with a protective effect of serum 25-OHD on colon cancer.

Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men. Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB, Hollis BW, Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 5;98(7):451-9. PMID: 16595781 doi:10.1093/jnci/djj101 Conclusions: Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality in men, particularly for digestive-system cancers. The vitamin D supplementation necessary to achieve a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nmol/L may be at least 1500 IU/day.

Vitamin D status and the risk of lung cancer: a cohort study in Finland. Kilkkinen A, Knekt P, Heliövaara M, Rissanen H, Marniemi J, Hakulinen T, Aromaa A. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Nov;17(11):3274-8. PMID: 18990771v In conclusion, although there was no overall association between vitamin D and lung cancer risk, women and young participants with a higher level of vitamin D were observed to have a lower lung cancer risk. Although experimental data support the suppressing effect of vitamin D on the development of lung cancer, large epidemiologic studies from different populations with repeated measurements of vitamin D are warranted to confirm this finding. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(11):3274-8)

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 25, 2009 -- Coming on the heels of the publishing in the Annals of Epidemiology of a new study led by Dr. Cedric Garland, on the preventive measures of vitamin D, GrassrootsHealth D*action Project is calling on physicians, health clinics and groups throughout the country to recognize the need for determining vitamin D levels and to ensure the public have their blood levels of vitamin D tested. According to research from the newly published study by Cedric F. Garland, Dr. P.H., FACE, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Moores Cancer Center of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), "It is projected that raising the minimum year-around serum 25(OH)D level to 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L) would prevent approximately 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, and three quarters of deaths from these diseases, in the US and Canada."