Vitamin D and cancer. For years the scientific world has focused on the effects of this precious micronutrient. We know with certainty that it is useful for the assimilation of calcium and therefore for having stronger bones. It helps the immune system function properly and keep muscles and nerves healthy.
Now comes important news from a meta-analysis of the German Cancer Research Center. Take adequate doses of vitamin D3 every day reduces the risk of dying from cancer by 12 percent. But there’s more. According to the researchers, people over 70 have the greatest benefits. The advantages are greater if the intake takes place before falling ill with cancer. You can read the results in the scientific journal Ageing Research Reviews.
How do you take vitamin D? What is the daily dose?
There are three ways to get vitamin D:
- through sun exposure
- with certain foods such as salmon and tuna, egg yolk, beef liver, cod liver oil and fortified drinks
- with supplements.
The recommended daily dose is between 10 and 20 micrograms depending on age. The dose increases as you get older.
There are two types of vitamin D:
- vitamin D2, which we find mainly in vegetables and supplements
- the D3, which is obtained with exposure to the sun’s rays and in the flesh.
Vitamin D and cancer: D3 version works
As we said, there are already many studies on the relationship between this vitamin and cancer. Most seem to rule out a preventive power. The researchers at the German research center analyzed 14 studies on the subject for a total of 105,000 people involved. From the results it is vitamin D3 that gives benefits, while D2 appears to have no effect on cancer mortality rates.
Important to have correct lifestyles for the prevention of cancer
Experts point out that taking vitamin D3 is not enough. To be more relaxed, it is necessary to change, sometimes radically, one’s lifestyles. It is necessary to eat well, not smoke, be physically active, avoid exposure to the sun without protection and not abuse alcohol. Participating in early detection screenings plays a major role in survival rates.
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