This research (below) came across my desk today at the
Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, about the importance of Vitamin D for
pancreatic cancer. Vitamin D formed from sunlight is a hormone with
200 biochemical actions and is useful for prevention and possible treatment of
breast, prostate, thyroid, colon, melanoma, pancreatic, and lung cancers.
Over 95% of breast cancer patients are
deficient; normalizing 25-OH D can help prevent cancer. Adequate levels of Vitamin D also reduce the
risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, fragility syndrome, heart disease,
autoimmune disease and even acute infections such as colds and the flu.
Needless to say, all our patients need
supplementation until levels are between 60-80 ng/ml. Everyone who lives in our
region (between Oct and May) need supplementation as the sun is not strong
enough to get the vitamin D that we need. I really like Thorne's liquid w K2 (which
is essential to move calcium into bones). Magnesium is also essential and both
are the most common mineral deficiencies.
Have you had your vitamin D checked lately? My
Mother’s Day plan is to get lots of sun this weekend using coconut oil for a
healthy tan!
Happy Mothers Day to you amazing women!
With Love & Gratitude,
Lisa
“If you’re living at a
high latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can’t make
vitamin D most of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting
pancreatic cancer,” said Cedric F. Garland, DrPH, Adjunct Professor
in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health and Member of UC San
Diego Moores Cancer Center.
“People who live in
sunny countries near the equator have only one-sixth of the age-adjusted
incidence rate of pancreatic cancer as those who live far from it. The
importance of sunlight deficiency strongly suggests—but does not prove—that
vitamin D deficiency may contribute to risk of pancreatic cancer.”
Study Details
The UC San Diego team,
led by Dr. Garland and Edward D. Gorham, PhD, Associate Professor
in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, had previously shown
that sufficient levels of a metabolite of vitamin D, known as 25-hydroxyvitamin
D, was associated with substantially lower risk of breast and colorectal
cancer. Their newer research is the first to implicate vitamin D deficiency
with pancreatic cancer.
Researchers studied data
from 107 countries, taking into account international differences and possible
confounders, such as alcohol consumption, obesity, and smoking. “While these
other factors also contribute to risk, the strong inverse association with
cloud-cover adjusted sunlight persisted even after they were accounted for,”
said Dr. Garland.
UC San Diego researchers
had previously identified an association of high latitude with a higher risk of
pancreatic cancer. Dr. Garland said the new study advances that finding, by
showing that an estimate of solar ultraviolet B that has been adjusted for
heavy cloud cover produces an even stronger prediction of risk of pancreatic
cancer.
Vitamin D is often added
as a fortifying nutrient to milk, cereals, and juices, and can be found
naturally in food like fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. But
experts say most people also require additional vitamin D—specifically,
ultraviolet B radiation—produced by the body by exposing skin directly to
sunlight. Cloudy skies, shade, and dark-colored skin also reduce vitamin D
production.
Pancreatic cancer is the
12th most common cancer in the world, according to World Cancer Research Fund
International, with 338,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Incidence rates are
highest in North America and Europe, and lowest in Africa and Asia.
This study was supported
in part by the UC San Diego Department of Family Medicine and Public Health.
Raphael Cuomo, MPH, CPH, is the corresponding
author for The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology article.
The content in this post
has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc.
(ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
Thinking of my daughter, Dana and my brother-in-law, Dan who just passed, and the question, "What makes a life well lived?"
