Vitamin D may help prevent common cancers

RESEARCH showing that a large daily dose of vitamin D can dramatically lower the risk of developing common cancers was given a cautious welcome yesterday.

US researchers found that the “natural” form of the vitamin, known as D3, could dramatically reduce the chances of developing breast, ovarian and colon cancer, as well as others, by up to 50%.

The research concluded that taking 1,000 international units (IU) of the vitamin daily could lower an individual’s cancer risk by 50%.

Such large doses of vitamin D must be treated with caution. More than 2,000 IU a day can lead to the body absorbing too much calcium, and possible damage to the liver and kidneys.

D3 is normally produced in the skin by the action of sunlight, but is also obtained from certain foods.

Dietary sources are limited, however. A glass of milk, for instance, contains only 100 IU of the vitamin.

The research, published in the American Journal of Public Health, reviewed 63 studies looking at the relationship between blood levels of vitamin D and cancer risk.

Professor Cedric Garland, from the University of California at San Diego, who led the review study, said: “A preponderance of evidence, from the best observational studies the medical world has to offer, gathered over 25 years, has led to the conclusion that public health action is needed.

“The easiest and most reliable way of getting the appropriate amount is from food and a daily supplement.”

Vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature deaths from cancer each year in the US, said the scientists.

The study found that people in the north eastern US, and darker skinned individuals, were at increased risk due to a lack of sunshine-generated vitamin D.