Increasing Levels of Vitamin D Reduces Risk of Cancer

Improving the levels of vitamin D in blood has a positive impact on the pathways involved with cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases, finds study.

The study revealed for the first time that improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases.

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements
Calcium and vitamin supplements are taken to provide the body with the ''required'' nutrients. Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Vitamins are very important nutrients for the body.

While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases.

Vitamin D is unique in that it can be both ingested and synthesized by the body with sun exposure.

It is then converted by both the liver and kidneys to a form that the body can use.

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An individual's level of vitamin D, or their vitamin D status, is determined by measuring the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood.

Vitamin D deficiency, which is defined as a status of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, can cause a number of health issues, including rickets and other musculoskeletal diseases.

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Recently, however, data suggests that vitamin D deficiency (greater than 20 ng/mL) and vitamin D insufficiency (between 21-29 ng/mL) is linked to cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study is published online in PLOS ONE.

Indians Deficient in Vitamin D: IMCR
People in India are deficient in Vitamin D despite ample sunlight. The Rajya Sabha was informed that this is leading to problems like weaker bones among the population.

Source-ANI