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Dr.
Porter, what role does vitamin D play in Breast cancer?
This is an excellent
question; due to recent research we are rethinking our definitions, views
and recommendations concerning vitamin D.
We are all familiar with the correlation between vitamin D and bone
health. What you may not know is
that these receptors have also been found in the brain, breast, prostate and on lymphocytes (an important part of our
immune system). The implications
here are far reaching because research indicates that higher levels of
vitamin D in our system are protective from breast and colon cancer,
osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and depression, to mention a few.
Recent research may
be proving that Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all but a hormone. The definition of a vitamin is an organic
substance other than a protein, carbohydrate, fat, or organic salt that is
essential to our body for normal metabolism. Vitamins are not formed in the body but
are obtained from an animal or plant source, with the bulk coming from
plant sources. A hormone, on the
other hand, is a substance originating in an organ gland, or body part that
is conveyed through the blood to another body part, stimulating that part
to increase or decrease a functional activity or hormone.
It has been suggested
that Vitamin D(3) is an effective chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent for breast
cancer. In fact, the research is so
promising that the National Caner Institute has stated there is general
agreement among experts that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a
higher prevalence of cancer and several other diseases. Recent research may have identified one
of the pathways that vitamin D uses to effect breast cancer cells by
causing cell death (apoptosis).
This is not a typical action we would expect from a vitamin and is
pretty exciting news. Another
possible mechanism that has been studied is the fact that calcitriol (a metabolite of Vitamin D) sensitizes
breast cancer cells to reactive oxygen species (ROS) dependant cell
death. What this means is that
breast cancer cells are easier to destroy by our own internal mechanisms
when exposed to calcitriol.
You may be wondering,
what does this mean to me and how do I produce Vitamin D? Each morning we wake to greet the
sun. When these rays come into
contact with our skin, the process of creating Vitamin D begins. We start with cholecalciferol
which journeys to the liver, interacts with 25-hydroxylase enzyme to become
calcidiol, proceeds to the kidney, finds the
1OHase enzyme to become calcitriol, which is the
most active form. Calcitriol, in turn is responsible for many of the
beneficial actions produced in our body.
It is has been shown that 15 minutes of full body exposure to the
sun on a clear day at equatorial latitudes can provide the equivalent of
4,000-20,000IU of vitamin D in a lightly pigmented person, while 30 minutes
is the equivalent of 50,000IU.
In order to determine
if you are deficient in vitamin D, it is recommended that you speak with
your physician and have your Serum 25-OH-D level checked. The current lab reference ranges are
10-40ng/ml. Due to multiple studies
and possible overestimation of toxicity from vitamin D in the past, current
research recommends changing the reference range to 40-65ng/ml. This would reflect current research and
increase the normal range towards more optimal levels for health.
The current RDA dose
for vitamin D is 400IU, which may prove to be grossly underestimated based
on more recent research. We must
also consider our geographic location for actual skin exposure to the sun
is lower for the majority of the year in Montana.
The available forms of vitamin D for supplementation are D2 and
D3. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
is the form produced by the skin and consumed in the diet. D2 has been shown to be less efficient as
a precursor to D3 and has some contamination possibilities during
processing which may be a problem to chemically sensitive people; therefore
D3 is the preferred form of supplementation.
In conclusion,
vitamin D is responsible for essential functions in the body including
calcium metabolism, cell proliferation, cardiovascular, immune/inflammatory
balance, neurological function and genetic expression. Vitamin D supplementation may be
indicated in certain individuals who are being treated for breast
cancer.
Yellowstone Naturopathic
Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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