Vitamin D appears to play a role in increasing the chances of surviving cancer. German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in the investigation came.
Vitamin D deficiency in cancer patients is probably more common
According to the DKFZ, a total of 14 studies with about 105,000 participants were evaluated. Only high-quality studies, in which participants were also randomly assigned, were considered vitamin Received D3 or a placebo. What exactly do the results mean for people with cancer?
The DKFZ states that vitamin D deficiency often occurs in cancer patients. Normally, 15 percent of adults in Germany suffer from this deficiency. However, a study of colorectal cancer patients found that 59 percent of the participants had a vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D against cancer? According to studies, the chance of survival is higher
Studies show that taking vitamin D3 can have a positive effect in fighting cancer. “According to current studies, vitamin D3 intake may not protect against cancer, but it may reduce the likelihood of dying from cancer,” says Ben Schotker, an epidemiologist at the German Cancer Research Center.
The study concluded that people over the age of 70 benefit most from vitamin D treatment. The effect is also greater if vitamin D was taken before the cancer was diagnosed.
If you are now considering taking preventive vitamin D every day, it is best to clarify this with your doctor. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) warns of the harmful effects of an overdose of vitamin D. Therefore, adults should not take more than 100 mcg per day.
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Vitamin D and cancer: What dose should make sense?
According to research, the effects of vitamin D on cancer are also dose dependent. In the studies examined, vitamin D3 was sometimes given in high doses, and sometimes in low daily doses. According to the DKFZ, no effects were found with high doses.
It should look different with daily vitamin D3: A summary of ten studies showed that cancer mortality was reduced by twelve percent.
“We saw this 12 percent reduction in cancer mortality after taking off-target doses of vitamin D3 in people with or without vitamin D deficiency,” says epidemiologist Ben Schotker. However, it can be assumed that the effect is significantly higher in people with vitamin D deficiency.
But why does research show that daily doses have a greater effect than occasional, high intakes? Ben Schotker explains this by the regular availability of the hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. This is only caused by the interaction of Vitamin D in the body and may inhibit the growth of tumors.
