Vitamin D and Sun Combine to Halt Breast Cancer

(Article first published as Vitamin D Shows Promise in the Fight Against Breast Cancer on Technorati.)

Both vitamin D and exposure to sunshine are known to provide protection against many forms of potentially deadly cancer lines. The combination of both supplemental vitamin D and moderate sunlight provide a synergistic effect that is shown to dramatically lower the risk of developing breast cancer.

Many health-minded individuals attempt to balance the intake of the vitamin from supplements and sunbathing when feasible. Research shows that a combination of both methods can bolster the critical circulating blood levels of vitamin D and provide significant protection against this devastating form of cancer.

Supplement with Vitamin D and Spend Time in the Sun

The link between vitamin D and cancer has been theorized for more than 70 years when researchers noticed that cancer incidence was considerably lower in latitudes closest to the equator. Since that time much has been learned and evidence conclusively confirms that individuals with the highest levels of circulating vitamin D can lower the risk of developing certain forms of cancer by as much as 78%.

Sun exposure and supplementation with the natural human form of vitamin D (D3) are essential to boost vitamin D levels, as dietary sources are scarce and unreliable. The results of a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention followed more than 67,000 postmenopausal women for a decade and examined degree of exposure to the sun and intake of vitamin D. Researchers found significant protection against breast cancer for those women with the most sun exposure and highest intake of vitamin D.

Study Finds Risk Lowered by 45% with Combined Vitamin D Sources

Information from this study underscores the importance of establishing a high circulating level of vitamin D to lower risk from cancer. The researchers noted that there was no significant risk reduction from taking vitamin D or sun exposure independently. The combination of moderate sun exposure and low dose vitamin D supplementation was shown to lower breast cancer risk by 32%. Women with the most sun exposure and highest level of dietary intake of vitamin D experienced a 45% reduction in breast cancer incidence.

Revised Recommended Daily Allowance Does Not Provide Cancer Protection

The referenced study found no cancer protection from taking a vitamin D supplement that provides the recommended dose of 400 IU. Additionally, cancer incidence was not affected by sun exposure alone. Combining both sources provided a degree of risk reduction that was dose dependent. Both sources were necessary to provide sufficient circulating vitamin D to demonstrate protection against breast cancer.

The revised RDA suggests that 600 IU of vitamin D will protect against disease. Unfortunately this will have no effect on cancer risk and millions will succumb to this preventable affliction. As this study confirmed, sun exposure is not a reliable source of vitamin D as our skin loses the ability to efficiently produce the vitamin as we age. Most adults will require at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D each day to establish a circulating blood level of 50 - 70 ng/ml. At this level all cells become fully saturated with vitamin D and cancer risk plummets.

Everybody metabolizes vitamin D differently and will require more or less of the nutrient based on age, weight, activity and genotype. Begin your journey to vibrant health with a simple blood test to determine your level and supplement with a gel-based form of D3 as necessary. You will dramatically lower your risk from a multitude of diseases and lengthen your natural lifespan.