Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that builds and maintains strong bones and regulates the immune system and cells to help prevent cancer. A deficiency of vitamin D can lead to cancer, a debilitating disease that is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The recovery from cancer is best when treated early. Consult your doctor about vitamin D deficiency and cancer symptoms.
Source
There are two types of vitamin D. Vitamin D2, also called ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3, also called chilecalciferol. Vitamin D3 is better at increasing blood levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in few foods, primarily as vitamin D3 in fatty fish and as vitamin D2 in fortified foods, such as milk and fruit juices. The sun can provide most of your vitamin D needs. The ultraviolet radiation of the sun reacts with your skin to create previtamin D3, which your body later converts to vitamin D3. Fifteen minutes of strong, direct sunlight on your arms and legs that do not contain sunscreen can fulfill your daily needs.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is a global epidemic in all age groups and populations. Vitamin D deficiency in children can cause rickets, a disease characterized by soft, weak bones. Adults who do not get sufficient exposure to sunlight, particularly the elderly and people living at high latitudes in Northern and Southern hemispheres, are vulnerable to a vitamin D deficiency. People with dark skin do not absorb sunlight as easily as people with light skin and have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. People with lower levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of cancer than do people with higher levels of vitamin D.
Cancer Symptoms
Cancer is characterized by rapid reproduction of abnormal cells that destroy normal cells and can spread throughout your body. Although the signs and symptoms may vary by cancer type and location, the ones you are most likely to experience include a lump or thickening under the skin, fatigue, unintended weight gain or loss, changes in skin color or texture, pain, discomfort after eating, and changes in bowel habits. See your doctor immediately if you notice these symptoms or other changes in your health. Your doctor will be able to conduct screening tests to determine if you have cancer and discuss your treatment options.
Vitamin D and Cancer
Scientists recognize the association between vitamin D deficiency and cancer and are determining if increasing dietary intake of the nutrient can reduce risk. Optimal daily intakes of vitamin D for adults are at least 800 to 1,000 international units and up to 4,000 IU can be safe. Research by scientists at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla and published in the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" in March 2007 shows that daily exposure to sunlight and dietary intake of 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 could increase blood levels of vitamin D and reduce incidence of breast cancer by 50 percent.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin D
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Leading Causes of Death; 2009
- Office of Dietary SupplemenOffice of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
- Cleveland Clinic; Vitamin D: Are You D-Pleted?; 2010
- Vitamin D Council; Vitamin D Deficiency: A Global Epidemic
- MayoClinic.com: Cancer
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