21. April 2008 23:49
The connection between vitamin D levels and certain forms of cancer has been suspected for some time but now German researchers have come up with clear proof of the link.
In a study involving 1,394 breast cancer patients and an equal number of healthy women who had been through the menopause, it was found that women with a very low blood level of vitamin D have a considerably increased risk of developing breast cancer.
The researchers from the German Cancer Research Center collaborated with teams at the University Hospitals in Hamburg-Eppendorf, in an attempt to investigate the complete vitamin D status, both from food intake and from sunlight.
The study led by Dr. Jenny Chang-Claude found clear evidence that women with a very low blood level of vitamin D have a considerably higher breast cancer risk.
This effect was more so in women who were not on hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms.
The researchers say that factors such as chemotherapy or lack of sunlight after prolonged hospital stays may have contributed to low vitamin levels of breast cancer patients.
The researchers say vitamin D regulates the calcium metabolism in our body and has a cancer-preventing effect on cell growth, cell differentiation and programmed cell death.
Foods that are rich in vitamin D include seafood, cod liver oil, eggs and dairy products but the best source of vitamin D is produced by our own body with the aid of sunlight.
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