By Dr. Mercola
At the end of January 2016, President Obama established the "Cancer
Moonshot Task Force" with the aim of creating a comprehensive plan to
enable progress in treatment and care of cancer.1
Based on the overwhelming amount of evidence at our disposal, optimizing vitamin D is one of the foundational strategies that really need to be part of any comprehensive cancer treatment plan, yet from the looks of it, it's not.
On Medscape's website,
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong explains the new technologies the Moonshot
program aims to bring forward. You can also learn more about the program
in the press conference video below.
Soon-Shiong invented human nanoparticles out of blood, which allows
the cancer to be mapped. The treatment also involves whole genome
sequencing and personalized, targeted immunotherapy. As noted by
Soon-Shiong:
"My view of the next-generation therapy is to take this
high-dose standard-of-care chemotherapy and reduce it to low-dose
chemotherapy given in the outpatient setting.
Then, we engage in hand-to-hand combat with the cancer cells in
real time with the dendritic cell, the natural killer cell, the T cell,
and the suppressor cell."
How Many Must Die Before Vitamin D Science Is Recognized?
While Soon-Shiong wisely recognizes the need to strengthen immune
function, allowing the body to clear itself of the cancer without
resorting to "carpet bombing" with toxic chemicals, he doesn't mention
the influence of vitamin D on immune function at all.
I firmly believe that any cancer prevention or treatment strategy
that excludes vitamin D is depriving the patient of a safe and vital
immune boost to defeat the cancer.
Moreover, the current recommendation to avoid sun exposure in order
to avoid skin cancer is likely increasing other more serious cancers.
Prevention, after all, is worth a pound of cure, so why are people told
to engage in behavior that will dramatically increase their cancer risk?
Recent research2
shows that UV abstinence is actually as dangerous as smoking when it
comes to cancer and overall mortality risks. In this "competing risk"
analysis, the life expectancy of sun avoiders was reduced by as much as
two years when compared to those who got the highest amount of sun
exposure.
As noted by Michael T. Murray, N.D. who reported and commented on these findings:3
"These results shatter conventional wisdom, but they are not
new. Noted vitamin D researcher Dr. Michael Holick, warned almost a
decade ago that avoiding sun exposure to prevent skin cancer results in
such a drop in vitamin D levels that for every life saved from skin
cancer over 100 people will lose their lives to other forms of cancer
..."
Improving Vitamin D Status Is a Key Cancer Prevention Tool
The evidence now clearly shows that once you reach a serum vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml, you see a major reduction in virtually all cancers.
The Health and Medicine Division (HMD) of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine,
IOM) has also reported an association between vitamin D and overall
mortality risk from all causes, including cancer.4,5
So why is there such resistance against vitamin D optimization through sun exposure
as a cancer prevention strategy when the scientific evidence showing
the enormous benefits are right there in black and white?
Vitamin D has become one of the most well-researched nutrients out
there, and studies have repeatedly demonstrated that it can
significantly reduce your cancer risk, and increase your chances of surviving cancer if you do get it. 6,7
Most recently, researchers at the University of California found
that women with a vitamin D serum level of 40 ng/ml or greater had a 67
percent lower risk of cancer compared to women with levels of 20 ng/ml
or less.8,9,10,11,12,13,14
The study included ALL invasive cancers, with the exception of skin
cancer, and had a follow-up period of nearly four years. In my view,
this is a finding that simply cannot be ignored. As reported by Science
Daily:15
"Primary prevention of cancer, rather than expanding early
detection or improving treatment, will be essential to reversing the
current upward trend of cancer incidence worldwide,' the researchers
wrote.
'This analysis suggests that improving vitamin D status is a key prevention tool.'"
Vitamin D Boosts Immune Function — Your Primary Defense Against Cancer and Other Disease
While I certainly do not discount the benefits of targeted
immunotherapy, it seems inadvisable to say the least to ignore the very
basics of health, such as diet and lifestyle, when developing
cancer treatments. This is particularly true when it comes to vitamin
D, as it is indeed a very important immune booster.
This was again demonstrated by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. According to this study,16
vitamin D helps prevent colorectal cancer by boosting immune function
and activating T cells to attack and eliminate cancer cells. As noted
in the Institute's press release: 17
"The research published ... by the journal Gut, represents the
first time that a link between vitamin D and the immune response to
cancer has been shown in a large human population. The finding adds to a
growing body of research showing that vitamin D — known as the
'sunshine vitamin' because it is produced by the body in response to
sunlight exposure – plays a key role in cancer prevention."
Senior author Dr. Shuji Ogino also added that:
"This is the first study to show evidence of the effect of vitamin D on anti-cancer immune function in actual patients, and vindicates
basic laboratory discoveries that vitamin D can interact with the
immune system to raise the body's defenses against cancer.
In the future, we may be able to predict how increasing an
individual's vitamin D intake and immune function can reduce his or her
risk of colorectal cancer." [Emphasis mine]
In related news, researchers have also discovered that men diagnosed
with aggressive prostate cancer tend to have vitamin D levels below 23
ng/ml. According to this study,18
vitamin D may actually be used as a biomarker to predict the
aggressiveness of prostate cancer. According to lead investigator Dr.
Adam Murphy, "All men should be replenishing their vitamin D to normal
levels. It's smart preventive health care."
How Vitamin D Helps Protect Against Cancer
Vitamin D influences virtually every cell in your body, which is
part of why it's effective against so many different kinds of cancer
and other disease states. Your organs convert the vitamin D in your
bloodstream into calcitriol, which is the hormonal or activated version
of vitamin D. Your organs then use calcitrol to repair damage,
including that from cancer cells. Vitamin D also triggers apoptosis
(cell death) in cancer cells.
According to vitamin D researcher Cedric Garland19
in nearly all forms of breast cancer vitamin D affects the structure
of your epithelial cells. These cells are held together by a glue-like
substance called E-cadherin, which provides structure to the cell.
E-cadherin is made up of mostly vitamin D and calcium. If you don't have
adequate vitamin D, that structure comes apart and those cells do what
they are programmed to do in order to survive — they go forth and
multiply. If this cell proliferation gets out of control, you may end
up with cancer.
If you have breast cancer in progress, the addition of vitamin D can
help stop cancer cells in their tracks by replenishing E-cadherin. Once
cancer growth is slowed, your immune system can begin to get ahead of
the cancer cells, because it doesn't have to deal with such an
overabundance of them.
Researchers have also discovered two specific compounds that appear to enhance the antitumor activity of calcitrol.20 They found that overexpression of an enzyme called CYP24A121,22
was responsible for dampening calcitrol's antitumor effect, and the
two compounds in question help inhibit this enzyme, thereby boosting
calcitrol's protective effects against cancer. A third compound was
also found to increase expression of a protein that helps inhibit
cancer growth.
10 Warning Signs You May Have a Vitamin D Deficiency
It's important to realize that the only way to determine your
vitamin D status is via blood testing. Ideally, you want a serum 25(OH)D
level of 40 to 60 ng/ml year-round for optimal health and cancer
prevention. However, there are some signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency23
to be aware of as well. If any of the following apply to you, you'd
be wise to get your vitamin D levels tested sooner rather than later.
Darker skin
African Americans are at increased risk of vitamin D
deficiency for the fact that your skin pigment acts as a natural
sunscreen, so the more pigment you have, the more time you'll need to
spend in the sun to make adequate amounts of vitamin D.
If you have dark skin, you may need as much as 10 times more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as a person with pale skin.
Head sweating
One of the first, classic signs of vitamin D deficiency is a
sweaty head. In fact, physicians used to ask new mothers about head
sweating in their newborns for this very reason.
Excessive sweating in newborns due to neuromuscular irritability is
still described as a common, early symptom of vitamin D deficiency.24
Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with mood elevation,
rises with exposure to bright light and falls with decreased sun
exposure.
In 2006, scientists evaluated the effects of vitamin D on the mental
health of 80 elderly patients and found those with the lowest levels of
vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who
received healthy doses.25
Over the age of 50
As you get older your skin doesn't make as much vitamin D in
response to sun exposure. At the same time, your kidneys become less
efficient at converting vitamin D into the form used by your body.
Older adults also tend to spend more time indoors (i.e. getting even less sun exposure and therefore vitamin D).
You're overweight, obese, or have higher muscle mass
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means body fat acts as a "sink" by collecting it.
If you're overweight or obese, you're therefore likely going to need more vitamin D than a slimmer person — and the same holds true for people with higher body weights due to muscle mass.
Achy bones
Many who see their doctor for aches and pains, especially in
combination with fatigue, end up being misdiagnosed as having
fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
However, these are actually classic signs of vitamin D deficiency
osteomalacia. This is different from osteoporosis, which is also
associated with vitamin D deficiency.
In the case of osteomalacia, the vitamin D deficiency prevents the
proper distribution of calcium into your skeleton's collagen matrix.
The result is throbbing, aching pain in your bones.
Impaired muscle function
Harvard researchers have reported that vitamin D deficiency can
result in muscle weakness, especially if you're over 60. The National
Institutes of Health has also reported that vitamin D deficiency can
impair muscle function.26
Persistent fatigue
Vitamin D is important for energy production, and people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome tend to be low in vitamin D.
Gut dysfunction
Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, if you have a gastrointestinal
condition that affects your ability to absorb fat, you may have
impaired absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D.
This includes gut conditions like Crohn's, celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Psoriasis
The National Psoriasis Foundation recognizes the importance of
vitamin D, noting vitamin D deficiency is a very common factor in those
with this skin condition.27
Optimizing Your Vitamin D Level Is a Simple, Inexpensive Disease Prevention Strategy
Prior to 2000, few doctors ever considered the possibility that you
might be vitamin D deficient. But as the technology to measure vitamin D
became inexpensive and widely available, it became increasingly clear
that vitamin D deficiency is rampant, and that it is a major factor
influencing cancer rates.
While statistics vary, it's generally found that at least half of
the U.S. population has insufficient amounts of vitamin D. Researchers
have also noted that vitamin D deficiency is particularly prevalent in
people who always wear sun protection (which blocks vitamin D
production) or limit their outdoor activities.
Despite its name, vitamin D is not a regular vitamin. It's actually a
steroid hormone that you are designed to obtain primarily through sun
exposure, not via your diet. While some foods do contain some vitamin
D, either naturally or through fortification, it would be nearly
impossible to get all the vitamin D you need from diet alone.
At present, the U.S. Surgeon General,28,29 the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and many other cancer organizations recommend complete and total sun avoidance in order to prevent skin cancer. The AAD will not even acknowledge different recommendations based on skin type.
This is a disastrous recommendation, as sun avoidance has been shown
to increase your risk of death very similar to that of smoking. It's
incomprehensible to me that health officials would warn you about the
risks of smoking, but not about the risks of sun avoidance, when both
have similar impact on disease and mortality risks.
Sensible Sun Exposure Is the Best Way to Optimize Vitamin D
The same organizations that promote sun avoidance also recommend
addressing any vitamin D insufficiency by eating vitamin D fortified
foods or taking supplements. This despite the fact that most vitamin D
experts believe this is not as safe and effective as sensible sun
exposure.
Just like any other nutrient, supplements are meant to supplement natural
sources, and in the case of vitamin D, that's sun exposure. Never in
the history of mankind have we relied on pills for vitamin D
production, and there's no evidence to suggest that it would be wise to
do so. Making matters worse, intake recommendations are sorely
underestimated.
The Health and Medicine Division (HMD) of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly IOM), recommends
taking just 600 IUs of vitamin D a day up to age 70. But as pointed out
in a 2014 paper,30 the HMD underestimates the need by a factor of 10 due to a mathematical error. Research31
suggests it would require 9,600 IUs of vitamin D per day to get a
majority (97.5 percent) of the population to reach 40 ng/ ml.
The American Medical Association uses 20 ng/ml as sufficient, but
research has shown that this level significantly increases your risk
for cancer; 40 ng/ml is really the cutoff point for sufficiency in
order to prevent cancer and many other diseases.
By adhering to sensible sun exposure guidelines and making sure you
do not get burned, you can maximize your benefits and minimize the
risks of skin damage that could lead to skin cancer. On the whole, overexposure, not avoiding all sun exposure, is the real problem when it comes to raising your risk for skin cancer.32
Meanwhile, optimizing your vitamin D via regular UV exposure can help
decrease your risk of well over a dozen different cancers that are far
more common and far more deadly than melanoma.
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