If you get the feeling that you're reading and hearing a lot about vitamin D lately, you're not alone. This vitamin has been receiving quite a bit of press lately, and with good reason. The last few years have seen an explosion of research on this nutrient and the conclusions of these studies pretty much agree: vitamin D is very important for long-term health and most of us don't get nearly enough of it.
Want to reduce your risk of cancer? Get more D. Want to reduce your risk of heart disease? Get more D. Want to minimize your odds of getting multiple sclerosis, lupus, or other autoimmune conditions? Get more D. Want to better manage your asthma and other respiratory conditions? Again, get your vitamin D! It's the rare (OK, never) time that I say, "Everyone needs this supplement," but vitamin D is one nutrient for which I make an exception.
A study presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting now suggests this is true for individuals with cancer, especially those with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.
For the vitamin D study, which included 98 people with colorectal cancer, the researchers reviewed medical charts of people treated for GI cancer between December 2007 and September 2009. They found that at baseline, nearly 90% of the patients had vitamin D deficiency. That's the bad news.
The good news is that the chart review also uncovered success. When the people with GI cancer were prescribed vitamin D supplements, most of them responded: Their blood levels of vitamin D increased markedly after 8-12 weeks of supplementation. The patients were given 50,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D, once per week, for a total of 8-12 weeks.
When blood levels of vitamin D were rechecked after supplementation, the rate of any vitamin D deficiency, including very mild deficiency, decreased from 91% to 57%. Cases of severe to moderate deficiency decreased from 72% to 13%.
Is D for Me?
Yes, but with caution. The 50,000 IU dose that was used to bring vitamin D levels up to normal are very, very high. These doses are safe, when taken short-term, under close medical supervision. Never supplement with 50,000 IU of vitamin D on your own. Work with your medical care team so that your blood levels can be checked and you can know your body is responding to the supplements as intended.
If you want to supplement with vitamin D for general good health and to make sure you are getting enough, it is safe to take up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Fortunately, vitamin D is inexpensive, so taking a supplement won't break the bank. A 30 day supply costs about $3 to $5. If you are in cancer treatment and you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, ask your doctor to be tested. A simple blood test will tell you whether you need higher doses of supplements to get yourself back up to normal.
