Breast Cancer and Vitamin D? Is there a Link?

Let’s talk about a topic women of all ages should be aware of: breast cancer.

Consider these statistics from breastcancer.org:

• Nearly 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• In 2019, 268,000 new cases of breast cancer in U.S. women will be diagnosed.
• Breast cancer is the 2^nd leading cause of cancer deaths for U.S. women (lung cancer is first).
• African American women under age 45 see higher rates of breast cancer than white women, and are more likely to die from the disease.
• Approximately 85% of breast cancers occur in women that have no family history of the disease.

It’s critical every woman (and man) know about the dangers of breast cancer. It’s also important to know what we can do to fight this deadly disease. One way is with vitamin D.

The Power of Vitamin D

Vitamin D has several important functions in the body:

• Helps absorb calcium and phosphorus
• Assists in bone and teeth development
• Helps keep the immune system functioning normally

In addition to these great benefits, studies indicate the importance of having sufficient levels of vitamin D:

• One recent study found that a vitamin D deficiency was linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes (Type 1 and 2), asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and several cancers, including colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

• Another study found that adequate levels of vitamin D may have protective qualities against breast cancer, making it a “potential cancer-preventing agent.”

These and countless other studies highlight the importance of vitamin D in our overall health.

Remember: the first line of defense against disease is a healthy immune system. Instead of waiting on the doctor to subscribe a pill to make us feel better, we can be proactive and find natural ways to keep our bodies healthy and strong.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?                                                       

Vitamin D is also known as the “Sunshine Vitamin.” That means all we have to do is go outside to get a healthy dose of this vital nutrient. (Our bare skin produces Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light).

All it takes is a few minutes to get the vitamin D we need, but surprisingly, many of us are actually deficient in this vitamin. It is estimated that worldwide, more than 1 billion people are vitamin d deficient!

There are several reasons for this:

Many of us spend more time indoors. Thanks to office jobs, the majority of us are indoors the majority of the day.

Sunscreen. In an effort to decrease rates of skin cancer, the use of sunscreen is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, they also inhibit the creation of vitamin D. To get your daily allowance of vitamin D, many experts suggest putting on sunscreen 15 minutes after getting in the sun.

UV protected windows. Contrary to popular belief, sitting by a window will not provide you with vitamin D. Most windows in buildings and cars block ultraviolet rays.

It’s critical we look at our daily habits and determine if we are getting enough vitamin D daily.

Top Sources of Vitamin D

In addition to getting it from exposure to sunlight, we can also get our daily supply of vitamin D from some foods and supplements. Here are a few top choices: