More vitamin D could mean fewer cancers

Thousands of cases of breast and colon cancers might be averted each year if people in colder climates raised their vitamin D levels.

Researchers at the University of California used data on average wintertime blood levels of vitamin D and rates of breast and colon cancers in 15 countries. They found that rates of the diseases tended to fall as average vitamin D levels climbed, according to their report in the journal Nutrition Reviews. The protective effect against colon cancer seemed to begin when blood levels of vitamin D reached 22 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL); for breast cancer, that number was 32 ng/mL. The average late-winter vitamin D level among Americans is 15 to 18 ng/mL, according to the researchers. They argue that, based on their data, if Americans were able to maintain a vitamin D level of at least 55 ng/mL, 60,000 cases of colon cancer and 85,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented every year. Worldwide, those figures could be 250,000 and 350,000, respectively. "This could be best achieved with a combination of diet, supplements and short intervals -- 10 or 15 minutes a day -- in the sun," lead study author Dr. Cedric F. Garland, a cancer prevention specialist at the University of California San Diego, said in a statement.

Bonnie - of course, this is music to our ears. However, we always recommend speaking to a health professional for a vitamin D dosage that it right for you.