After evaluating several studies, the German Cancer Research Center came to an impressive conclusion: vitamin D can help with cancer.
According to a forecast, 240,000 people will die of cancer in Germany in 2023. Men are more frequently affected and die primarily of lung and prostate cancer. Women, on the other hand, fall ill and die primarily from lung and breast cancer. Cancer is thus the second leading cause of death in Germany. Curing cancer is still difficult and rarely successful. Nevertheless, there is now an indication in medicine of an ingredient that could support therapy: vitamin D.
Vitamin D can increase chances of surviving cancer
Doctors have known for a long time that cancer patients often have a vitamin D-3 deficiency. According to that German Cancer Research Center A study was able to show that 59 percent of the colorectal cancer patients examined for the study suffered from a vitamin D-3 deficiency. The vitamin therefore seems to play an important role in the progression of cancer.
The body produces vitamin D itself, but needs external stimuli to do so. On the one hand, this task can be taken over by the right food, for example. These include, among others:
- Oily fish like salmon or herring
- eggs
- cheese and dairy products
About 20 percent of the vitamin D requirement can be met through food. Contact with daylight is therefore also indispensable for people. It doesn’t have to be blazing sunshine, even when the sky is cloudy, UV-B rays hit the uncovered skin and boost the production of vitamin D in the body. In the winter months in particular, people over 50 can suffer from a vitamin deficiency due to the limited daylight.
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Vitamin D does not prevent cancer
In order to understand how crucial vitamin D deficiency is in the treatment of cancer patients, the German Cancer Research Center conducted a meta-study. To do this, they examined 14 studies on the subject of cancer and vitamin D and compiled their results. Above all, this led to an important finding: people with cancer who took small doses of vitamin D every day died less often. Cancer mortality fell by 12 percent.
However, there was no reduction in mortality in people who took larger amounts of vitamin D at a time and then took a longer break before taking the next dose. Regular intake has had a particularly positive effect on cancer patients over the age of 70 who suffer from vitamin D deficiency. It is important, however, that the researchers say that regular vitamin D intake is very unlikely to protect against developing cancer. It just lowers the likelihood of dying from cancer.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about clinical pictures.