High Vitamin D Levels can Lower Colon Cancer Risk

Consuming a diet rich in Vitamin D can improve bone health and can also lower the risk of colorectal or colon cancer, reveals a new study.

Compared to participants with circulating vitamin D concentrations considered sufficient for bone health, people with deficient concentrations of the vitamin had a 31 per cent higher risk of colon cancer.

Girls with High Levels of Vitamin D are Stronger than Boys
Girls are stronger than boys if they have higher levels of vitamin D. Muscle strength of girls depends on how much Vitamin D they have in their blood.

‘Vitamin D can be obtained in the diet, especially from fortified foods, supplements, and also from sun exposure.’

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Similarly, concentrations above bone health sufficiency were associated with a 22 per cent lower risk. However, risk did not continue to decline at the highest concentrations.

"Currently, health agencies do not recommend vitamin D for the prevention of colorectal cancer," said Marji L. McCullough, epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society.

"This study adds new information that agencies can use when reviewing evidence for vitamin D guidance and suggests that the concentrations recommended for bone health may be lower than would be optimal for colorectal cancer prevention," he added.

Larger Waistlines May Increase Vitamin D Deficiency Risk
Larger waistlines and higher levels of abdominal fat are linked to increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D levels are lower in individuals with higher levels of abdominal fat.

According to the researchers, optimal vitamin D concentrations for colorectal cancer prevention may be higher than the current National Academy of Medicine recommendations, which are based only on bone health.

The study, published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, included data from 5,700 colorectal cancer cases and 7,100 controls.

Link Between Vitamin D Status and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in UK Children
Vitamin D related genetic variants may increase the risk of liver damage in children diagnosed with the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Genetic and nutritional factors may influence the progression and development of the disease.

Further, the association was noticeably stronger in women than men at concentrations above bone health sufficiency, the researchers said.

Vitamin D can be obtained in the diet, particularly from fortified foods, from supplements, and from sun exposure. However, experts recommend vitamin D be obtained through diet whenever possible because excessive ultraviolet radiation is a major risk factor for skin cancer.

Link Between High Serum Vitamin D and Lower Cholesterol Levels in Children
Vitamin D may improve plasma lipid levels. Children with high serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels had lower plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Source-IANS