What the government-medical-industrial complex tells you about preventing and screening for breast cancer is often worthless. But fortunately, researchers have found something you can do to dramatically increase your odds of beating this deadly disease.
And it’s as simple as taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement.
A large new study shows that women with breast cancer who have high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to survive their cancer compared to women with low levels.1
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, analyzed five studies involving 4,443 women with breast cancer. The women’s vitamin D levels were measured when they were first diagnosed with cancer, and then were tracked for an average of nine years afterwards.
The women in the high vitamin D group had an average of 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of the vitamin in their blood. The low vitamin D group averaged 17 ng/ml. The researchers noted that the optimal vitamin D level for all people—not just those with breast cancer—should be between 30 and 80 ng/ml.1
The researchers believe vitamin D fights cancer in a couple of ways. First of all, the vitamin apparently regulates genes to turn on proteins. These proteins block excess cellular growth—a hallmark of cancer. Vitamin D is also thought to prevent tumor growth and angiogenesis (the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor).
Given the powerful anti-cancer properties described by the researchers, it makes sense to seek optimal vitamin D levels—and not just avoid deficiency. Remember that in this study, even the women with double the chance of surviving breast cancer were at the low end of the optimal vitamin D range. So imagine what higher levels might do.
But unfortunately, following the government’s inadequate recommendations for vitamin D consumption won’t cut it. I recommend a daily dose of 5,000 IU of vitamin D for everyone. Though other respected colleagues recommend up to 10,000 IU per day.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, consult your physician about measuring your vitamin D blood levels and seeking optimal blood levels with daily supplementation.
Source:
1 Meta-analysis of Vitamin D Sufficiency for Improving Survival of Patients with Breast Cancer. Anticancer Research March 2014 vol. 34 no. 3 1163-1166