Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be associated with a variety of cancers, including prostate, multiple myeloma, colorectal and breast cancer. Several studies have shown vitamin D levels to have an inverse relation with cancer mortality, while others have considered it a potential risk factor.
Research suggests that women with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of breast cancer. Vitamin D may play a role in controlling normal breast cell growth and may be able to stop breast cancer cells from growing. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for good bone health.
While some studies have reported positive anticancer effects of vitamin D supplementation, others have shown no effect or even increased cancer risk.
In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia. Osteomalacia causes weak bones, bone pain, and muscle weakness.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
They also concluded that taking 1,000 units of vitamin D a day could potentially reduce your risk of colon cancer by as much as 50%. Other studies have suggested that improving your vitamin D status would have the benefit of reducing colorectal cancer by about 25%–50%, depending on the study.
The importance of vitamin D
The study found that people with deficient serum vitamin D levels according to the NAM definition had a 31% higher risk of colorectal cancer during the length of time they were followed, which was an average of 5 ½ years (the full range was 1-25 years).
Epidemiologic evidence suggests that lower circulating vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer [3]. Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis showed that vitamin D supplementation is associated with a 13% decrease in cancer mortality [4].
Multiple myeloma is the most common cancer to affect bone with up to 90% of patients developing bone lesions. Although several studies demonstrated that endocrine changes such as vitamin D deficiency promote secondary cancer growth in bone, relatively few have reported its prevalence.
For most adults, vitamin D deficiency is not a concern. However, some groups — particularly people who are obese, who have dark skin and who are older than age 65 — may have lower levels of vitamin D due to their diets, little sun exposure or other factors.
The pooled odds ratio of vitamin D deficiency and thyroid cancer based on six studies was 1.30 (95% CI, 1.00–1.69; P = . 05). The frequency of thyroid cancer-particularly papillary thyroid cancer-has been on the rise globally.
Vitamin D deficiency is most commonly caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight. Some disorders can also cause the deficiency. The most common cause is lack of exposure to sunlight, usually when the diet is deficient in vitamin D, but certain disorders can also cause the deficiency.
Vitamin D is one of the most studied supplements for cancer prevention and treatment right now. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene contain antioxidants once thought to help prevent cancer.
Several studies have shown increased inflammatory factors associated with increased risk of cervical cancer development [40, 41]. Therefore, vitamin D due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative actions may be useful to decrease the progression of CIN to cervical cancer.
There has been a causal link demonstrated to link vitamin D deficiency and pancreatic disease, including cancer. Kalpdor et al. found that in patients with pancreatic disease, serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower than those of controls, whereas both vitamin A and E levels were normal in all samples (38).
Vitamin D may decrease tumor invasiveness and propensity to metastasize, leading to reduced cancer mortality. Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels at diagnosis have been linked to longer survival in cancer patients.
Deficiency of Folate (B9) can lead to colorectum, pancreas, breast and prostate cancer. Inadequate B6 and B12 in the human body can result in lung cancer.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Generally, it takes a few weeks of taking daily vitamin D supplements for vitamin D levels in the body to rise. Each 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 taken daily is expected to raise blood levels of 25(OH)D by 10 ng/ml after a few weeks.
Oranges may be the closest you'll get to a fruit containing vitamin D.
Growing evidence has demonstrated that vitamin D has a role in sleep regulation [12]. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to grow, and so when the body does not have enough, the hair may be affected. A vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.