Vitamin D deficiency and cancer links
Is it a random event or is there a link between vitamin D deficiency and higher levels of cancer? A study was presented in October of 2011 in the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. According to the study, researchers in Northeast Radiation Oncology Center in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, community oncology practice, trying to find the vitamin levels of their cancer patients. Most of the cancers that their patients suffer from were: breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, thyroid cancer and colorectal cancer. They wanted to know if there were any similarities between all the cancer patients as it relates to their vitamin D levels. There were 160 patients with cancer whose vitamin d levels were analyzed. Their median age was 64 years old, and half were men and half were women. The results were very telling. 77% of patients had vitamin D levels that are considered either deficient (less than 20 ng/mL) or sub-optimal (20-30 ng/mL). The median vitamin D levels were 23.5 ng/mL.
According to Dr. Mercola, who is a huge proponent of higher levels of vitamin D for proper health, you need to make sure you do the the correct test, which is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The levels you should follow are as follows:
Deficient: Less than 50 ng/mL or or less than 115 nmol/l
Optimal: Between 50 to 70 ng/mL or or 115-128 nmol/l
If you are treating cancer or heart disease, than you should be between 70-100 ng/mL or 128-148 nmol/l
Excessive is over 100 ng/mL or over 148 nmol/l
