2023-05-26 15:30:25
In a recent study, the German Cancer Research Center found that the daily intake of vitamin D can significantly increase the chances of survival for cancer patients.
In Germany, about one in seven people has a pronounced vitamin D deficiency, more precisely about 15 percent of adults are affected. Vitamin D blood levels are particularly often below the threshold value in cancer patients. In a study, scientists found that 59 percent of the colon cancer patients examined had too little vitamin D in their blood. These patients also had an unfavorable prognosis.
Cancer researcher Ben Schöttker: Vitamin D probably does not protect against cancer, but it does reduce mortality
Conversely, a daily intake of vitamin D increases the chance of survival in the event of cancer – from a purely statistical point of view. This was the result of an evaluation of 14 studies of the highest quality level carried out by scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) based in Heidelberg. The data from almost 105,000 study participants was included. The spectacular result: “Vitamin D probably does not protect against developing cancer. But statistically speaking, the probability of dying from it drops by twelve percent,” reports epidemiologist Ben Schöttker in an interview with our editors.
Germany’s research flagship in the fight against cancer
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) employs more than 3000 people, making it Germany’s largest biomedical research facility. The experts work closely with cancer specialists in university hospitals and other research institutions. Among other things, they are developing new methods with which tumors can be diagnosed more precisely and cancer patients can be treated more successfully. The DKFZ is funded 90 percent by the Federal Ministry of Research and ten percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
Study analysis: Daily vitamin D intake is crucial
The study analysis by the DKFZ scientists also revealed that the daily intake in low doses of between 400 and 4000 international units was decisive with regard to the better chances of survival. “Most of the studies used the dosages of between 800 and 2000 international units of vitamin D3 per day that are common in practice today,” explains Schöttker. In contrast, mortality was not reduced in infrequently administered high single doses—in these study groups, participants had received between 60,000 and 120,000 international units of vitamin D3 once a month or less. To explain: International Unit (abbreviation i. E.) is a unit of measure for the effect of a medicinal substance. It is used for some vitamins, but is also used for certain hormones, vaccines, and antibiotics.
Vitamin D reactions in the body can presumably inhibit tumor growth
Why daily vitamin D intake reduces mortality from cancer needs to be researched in more detail. Scientists like Schöttker see a connection with reactions of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D produces a hormone with the scientific name 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. “It can probably inhibit tumor growth,” says Schöttker.
Have your vitamin D levels checked over the age of 50
Against this background, DKFZ scientist Schöttker thinks it makes sense for people over the age of 50 in particular to have their vitamin D levels in their blood checked by their family doctor and compensate for a possible deficiency. The big problem with this: A vitamin D deficiency does not cause any clearly assignable symptoms. This is one of the reasons many people are unaware that their blood levels of vitamin D are too low.
Above all, over 70-year-olds benefit from taking vitamin D
“Before the age of 50, the risk of developing cancer is still comparatively low, which is why the positive effect of taking vitamin D is more likely to be expected in the older age group,” says Schöttker. The DKFZ study showed that study participants over the age of 70 in particular benefited from taking vitamin D.
More than half of adults do not have optimal vitamin D levels
Studies from Germany have shown that just over half of adults are at least slightly below the threshold for optimal vitamin D levels in their blood. Because the vitamin D level depends primarily on direct sunlight on the skin, more people are affected in winter than in summer. “As a rule, the body forms 80 to 90 percent of the vitamin itself in the skin – with the help of sunlight, more precisely UVB radiation,” explain experts from the Robert Koch Institute. “With an estimated share of around 10% to 20%, diet only makes a relatively small contribution to vitamin D supply.”
#Daily #vitamin #increases #chance #survival #cancer