The Sunshine Vitamin and Cancer Risk

Even though people often think of vitamin D helping to build strong bones, did you know it was effective in preventing cancer?

Believe it or not, vitamin D is a shining star in preventing cancer. Sunlight is a key source of vitamin D. You can get your daily supply with 10 to 20 minutes of sun exposure, 2 to 3 times per week. Research shows that small amounts of sunshine can help reduce the risk of breast, colon, prostate and several other cancers. Remember that sunscreen will block the UVB rays required to produce this vibrant vitamin, therefore small amounts of unprotected exposure to the sun is all you need. More than that and you’ll need adequate sunscreen.

Vitamin D in Your Diet

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin found mainly in oily fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines. Smaller amounts are found in egg yolks and vitamin D fortified milk and cereals. Make sandwiches to go with a delicious tuna salad recipe (including fresh dill and fresh squeezed lemon) or turn on the grill and delight your friends and family with fresh wild salmon drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and served with roasted zucchini. You'll want these vitamin D rich foods to become part of your everyday diet!

Research

A recent study1 followed 512 breast cancer patients for an average of 12 years. Preliminary results show that women with the lowest levels of vitamin D had almost double the risk of breast cancer progression compared to those who had adequate vitamin D levels. In addition, those with the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 73 percent increased risk of death compared to those whose blood levels of vitamin D were insufficient. Research is on-going and more research is needed. In the meantime, get some sun and get your fill of D-eclicious foods.

Take Action

The Institute of Medicine recommends 200 international units (IU) daily for women up to age 50, 400 IU for women 51 to 70, and 600 IU for women 71 and older. Many experts recommend 400 to 800 units for older men, however the optimal daily dose for males is still under evaluation. To put this in perspective, one egg has about 25 IU’s and a 4 ounce piece of salmon has about 400 IU’s of vitamin D.

As always, moderation is essential. It's easy to fall into the "more is better" trap. Too much vitamin D can be dangerous to your health. If you plan to supplement your diet, take moderate doses of daily vitamin D3 keeping in mind all of the other ways that your body is getting its dose of vitamin D.

Now go soak up the summer sun and all the benefits that come with it! This includes getting a healthy dose of vitamin D through sunlight, diet and Vitamin D3 supplements.