Neolife medical management

Adequate levels of Vitamin D could reduce the incidence of Breast Cancer by 44%

Vitamin D is key to both physical and mental health. The beneficial effects of Vitamin D have been demonstrated in the prevention of breast cancer, in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, in cardiac and cerebrovascular disease, in Alzheimer’s, in bacterial and viral infections, and even in pregnancy (demonstrating a decrease in the number of Caesareans and preeclampsia). More recently, interesting studies have been published about its beneficial effects on Crohn’s disease and colon cancer.

A recent meta-analysis carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and published in the journal Anticancer Research, has demonstrated the protective effect of high levels of Vitamin D against the mortality risk of breast cancer.

Five scientific studies comprised of 4,443 women, of which 471 had breast cancer, were analyzed. It was observed that the women whose levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol were greater than 30 ng/mL (a way of measuring Vitamin D in blood plasma), presented a 44% decrease in mortality rate from breast cancer compared to those whose values were less than 20 ng/mL. It appears that cancer cells have Vitamin D receptors that activate a protein that blocks cell division.

The authors conclude that there is no reason to wait for further scientific studies with respect to recommending Vitamin D supplements in safe doses in order to exceed 30 ng/mL.

In addition, another meta-analysis published only a few months ago in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, associated high levels of Vitamin D in blood plasma with a better prognosis in the early stages of breast cancer. Close to 39% of 5,691 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer presented low levels of Vitamin D. These low levels correlated with twice the likelihood of suffering a relapse of cancer along with an increased risk of mortality of 76%.

Vitamin D inhibits the growth of tumor cells, angiogenesis, inflammation, cell invasion and metastasis, all of which help to fight against breast cancer.

Yet Vitamin D not only has beneficial effects in relation to breast cancer and bone health. According to a study in the journal Orthomolecular Medicine, there are around 34,000 publications that make reference to Vitamin D in their title or abstract. This gives us an idea of the significance of this vitamin on both our physical and mental health. The beneficial effects of Vitamin D have been demonstrated in pregnancy (demonstrating a decrease in the number of Caesareans and preeclampsia), in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, in cardiac and cerebrovascular disease, in Alzheimer’s, and in bacterial and viral infections. More recently, interesting studies have been published about its beneficial effects on Crohn’s disease and colon cancer.

However, in medicine not everything is black and white. Another recently published meta-analysis in the journal Lancet states the ineffectiveness of Vitamin D supplements against cardiac and cerebrovascular disease, cancer, or even the prevention of bone fractures. Needless to say, people were quick to respond: a biased selection involving only negative publications, low doses of Vitamin D, inappropriate forms of Vitamin D for the treatment at hand…

Curiously enough, scientific articles with discouraging or negative results are referred to far more frequently in mass media than those with positive or beneficial results. As we all know perfectly well, bad news sells far better than good news.

At our Neolife clinic, the majority of plasma determination tests of 25-OH cholecalciferol we see have values less than 30 ng/mL, and it is our opinion, after having thoroughly studied publications both in favor and against, is to make use of Vitamin D3 supplements in order to reach values between 50 and 100 ng/mL.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sharif B.M., Edward D.G., June Kim, et al. Meta-analysis of Vitamin D Sufficiency for Improving Survival of Patients with Breast Cancer. Anticancer Research, March 2014 vol. 34 no. 3, 1163-1166.

Autier, P., Boniol, M. Pizot, C. & Mullie P. Vitamin D status and ill health: a systematic review. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Vol 2, Issue 1, pp 76-89, Jan 2014.