Higher vitamin D3 leads to better prostate cancer survival
A study showed that higher vitamin D3 leads to better prostate cancer survival. The article appeared in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study was used to zero in on prostate cancer. 1000 subjects in that study had prostate cancer at the time of enrolment. Over the course of the 23-year study just over 360 subjects died from prostate cancer. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were obtained at the time of enrolment into the study. The participants of the study also completed food questionnaires. This documented the uptake of vitamin D3 from food.
Results of the study were as follows. Those whose vitamin D levels were among the top 20% of the group had a much better survival than the bottom 20% of vitamin D levels among the group. The top vitamin D level group survived 28% better than the bottom group!
The authors noted that the finding of their study has important implications. Disease specific mortality, in this case prostate cancer is significantly reduced in the presence of vitamin D3 supplementation. The authors are of the opinion that all prostate cancer sufferers should be put on vitamin D3 supplements to reduce the impact of the disease.
Vitamin D3 prevents prostate cancer
In a prospective study from France dated Jan. 28, 2016 a total of 129 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed. The highest quartile versus lowest quartile of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were determined. The investigators found that higher concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer. There was only 30% of prostate cancer in the high quartile group compared to the low quartile group. Parathyroid hormone is structurally closely related to vitamin D3. However various concentrations of parathyroid hormone showed no effect on prostate cancer occurrence. The authors concluded that in their prospective study vitamin D3 was inversely related to prostate cancer.
Higher Vitamin D3 Leads To Better Prostate Cancer Survival
Conclusion
In conclusion, these two studies show that vitamin D3 cannot only prevent prostate cancer significantly, but it also can lower prostate cancer mortality. As aging men are the ones who develop prostate cancer as a group, they should be taking vitamin D3 supplements in an attempt to reduce the risk to develop or die from prostate cancer.
