Let the Sun Shine on the Breast of Beauties: Vitamin D Deficiency in Breast Cancer Patients (especially women of color)

OK... so they tell us to wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn, but the sun actually nourishes our body with Vitamin D... NATURALLY! So isn't it amazing that researchers from the University of South Carolina made a presentation at the 3rd American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Dsiparities in Miami. According to their research, Vitamin D deficiency may actually contribute the developmen of breast cancer.

The researchers at University South Cacalacki measured Vitamin D levels in 107 women who had received a breast cancer diagnosis within the past five years. Not only was Vitamin D deficiency widespread among the participants, but lower levels of the vitamin were also significantly correlated with triple-negative breast cancer.

I have never heard this term before, triple negative breast cancer, but it appears that this particular cancer is the most aggressive and hardest to treat form of the dis-ease as it is unresponsive to all the most conventional effective drugs. The researchers found that it was eight times more common in women with Vitamin D difeciency than in those with adequate levels of the vitamin.

A population study based on the California Cancer Registry found that women who were diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer were likely to be under the age of 40, Black or Hispanic, and were living at a low socioeconomic status. Their cancers were more aggressive than estrogen-receptor positive tumors, and were diagnosed at a later stage of the disease. In the five years after treatment, risk of recurrence was high.

Typically, darker skin acts somewhat as a block to producing Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, which is the primary source of Vitamin D in most people. Only 15 percent of white women in the study had low levels of Vitamin D deficiency, 60 percent of black / brown skin participants had insufficient levels.

"[The study] corroborates other research showing racial differences in Vitamin D status and provides further support for a protective role of Vitamin D in breast cancer," the researchers wrote.

As more evidence of Vitamin D's role in disease prevention has emerged in recent years, health experts have become increasingly alarmed at the widespread levels of deficiency across the United States.

"Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic in America, and it contributes not only to the development of osteoporosis but to increased cancer and heart disease as well," writes Joel Fuhrman in his book Cholesterol Protection for Life.

Personally I have found one of the best supplements for Vitamin D intake is with Nordic Naturals. Yes, it is a fish oil supplement, but they have a line that is a pharmecuetical grade that provides a great dose of Vitamin D that will support your body with better absorption of your calcium intake as well as regulate your immune system and increase your cardiovascular health. Check it out for yourself http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/154/?ProdID=1517

The AMA and FDA will tell you that you can get a strong dose of your Vitamin D from cow's milk. If you knew what I know, you might think twice about it: http://curezone.com/foods/milk.asp