Vitamin D Helps Prevent Colorectal Cancer

Vitamin D is inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer. The higher your vitamin D level, the less likely you are to get cancer of the colon or rectum. Big news!! A few years back, Dr. Freedman and colleagues studied 16,818 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Freedman et al. 2007). Colorectal cancer mortality was found to be inversely related to vitamin D blood levels, with levels of 80 nmol/L or higher associated with a 72% risk reduction (95% confidence interval = 32% to 89%). Levels lower than 50 nmol/L supported the inverse relationship between 25(OH)D levels and colorectal cancer mortality—again—the higher the levels, the lower the cancer risk. Overall, a meta-analysis showed that in all five studies, a significant protective effect against developing colorectal cancer was conferred by vitamin D sufficiency. (Gorham et al. 2007)

Additional research is forthcoming regarding vitamin D’s important role in the prevention of breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

It’s important to get your vitamin D level tested, and essential to get repleted to the right level! Unlike integrative physicians, so many conventional physicians still underdose. Make sure your levels are appropriate for the upcoming winter months, when a higher dose of vitamin D is often needed.