Vitamin D could increase survival of Ladies with breast cancer:

Women with high vitamin D levels in their blood following a breast cancer diagnosis are more likely to survive its effect, a new study said recently.

The current study, revealed by the USjournal JAMA medical specialty, included 1,666 women; diagnosed with breast cancer between 2006 and 2013. These participants provided blood samples within two months of diagnoses and answered questions about diet, modus vivendi and different risk factors, with follow-ups for up to eight years.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health. Recent research suggests it may have other benefits, too, such as protecting against colds and fighting depression. The good news is that most people get enough vitamin D, according to the Institute of Medicine (I.O.M.). It’s sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s produced in your skin in response to sunlight.

Sources of Vitamin D

In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Both are ingested from the diet and supplements but very few foods contain vitamin D; Thus synthesis (specifically cholecalciferol) in the skin is the major natural source of the vitamin.

Vitamin D is a supplement best known for its part in keeping up solid bones, and vitamin D insufficiency has been connected with the danger of a few malignancies.

Common sources of vitamin D include sun exposure, fatty fish oils, vitamin supplements, and fortified milk and cereals.

Vitamin D influence on Breast Cancer

While the mechanisms for how vitamin D influences breast cancer outcomes are not well understood, researchers believed it may be related to its role in promoting normal mammary cell development, and inhibiting the reproduction of and promoting the death of cancer cells.

Although the study did not examine the effects of vitamin D intake from foods versus supplements, but reveals that it supports the recommended daily levels of vitamin D: 600 international units (i.u.) for those below 70 years old and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and 800 international units (i.u.) for those over 71 years old.

"We found that women with the highest levels of vitamin D levels had about a 30 percent better likelihood of survival than women with the lowest levels of vitamin D," senior author Lawrence Kushi at the Kaiser Permanent Northern California Division of Research, said in a statement.

"The more we know about vitamin D, the more we understand that it may play a key role in cancer prevention and prognosis," Kushi said. "This study adds to the evidence that vitamin D is an important nutrient."