According to a recent study, people who take 400 IU, the U.S.D.A. recommended dose, of Vitamin D each day can reduce their risk of pancreatic cancer by almost half. This is potentially good news given the fact that pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. There is no effective screening for pancreatic cancer and only 5 percent of patients diagnosed survive more than 5 years.
Vitamin D has already been linked to preventing and treating prostate cancer, and areas with greater sunlight exposure report a lower incidence of certain cancers, including prostate, breast, and colon cancers. These facts led researchers out of Northwestern University in Chicago to look at its effects on pancreatic cancer risk.
Vitamin D is produced by the body through exposure to sunlight. Some foods such as fish and eggs contain vitamin D and other foods such as milk and soy are fortified with the vitamin, but most Americans don’t get enough from either sunlight or foods to get the recommended daily dose.
The study also found that people who take doses of 150 IU per day or less reduce their risk by as much as 22 percent, but doses over 400 IU had no increased benefit.
SOURCE: Journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, September 2006
Vitamin D has received a lot of great press lately, as it should. Healthy bones, skin, muscles and immune system all benefit from Vitamin D. The problem is that we eat much less of the foods that supply this wonder nutrient than every before. Why??? Junk food, fast food and highly processed foods have all but removed this nutrient, as well as many others. Even when they add it back into the food sources, they use cheap quality nutrients that are not whole food based. Stay tuned for nutrition at its best on Benzinger On Health. Look up Prescription for Natural Cures and Foods that Heal for Dummies. These books and their authors have great information. Make sure you sign up for the weekly newsletter so you know what’s coming next.
God Bless,
Dr. Benzinger
