Vitamin D May Prevent Breast and Colorectal Cancer

Two studies by scientists from UC San Diego indicate that vitamin D may be able to prevent up to half of breast cancer cases and two-thirds of colorectal cancer cases in the US. This was their conclusion after conducting a meta-analysis, i.e., combining data from previous publications.

Vitamin D3 is available through diet, supplements and exposure of the skin to sunlight, or ultraviolet B (UVB). They warn however against excessive sun exposure as that may do more harm than good.

For a typical fair-skinned Caucasian individual, adequate vitamin D could be photosynthesized safely by spending 10 to 15 minutes in the noontime sun on a clear day with 50 percent of skin area exposed to the sun. Darker skinned individuals may require more time in the sun, such as 25 minutes. For people with photosensitivity disorders, or anyone with a personal or family history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, any amount of extra sun exposure would be inadvisable.

Of course, there are Vitamin D supplements available in the market, too, but unless you have sun allergies or other photosensitivities, why not get it for free?

More about this, from EurekAlert.