Vitamin D May Cut Risk of Colorectal Cancer by 40%
Lee Swanson Research Update
Increased blood levels of vitamin D could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40%, according to a new study with people from ten European countries.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, is said to be the largest of its kind to date and adds to the science supporting the apparent health benefits from increased vitamin D. Indeed, a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2007 reported that higher blood levels of vitamin D were associated with a lower risk of colon cancer.
"However," researchers wrote in the new study, "before any public health recommendations can be made for vitamin D supplementation, new randomized trials are needed to test the hypothesis that increases in circulating 25-(OH)D concentration are effective in reducing colorectal cancer risk without inducing serious adverse events."
Using data from over half a million participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Study (EPIC), the researchers analyzed dietary and lifestyle information obtained from questionnaires, and collected blood samples.
During the course of the study, 1,248 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed and matched with 1,248 healthy controls.
The EPIC data showed that blood levels of vitamin D below a mid-level of 50 to 75 nanomoles per liter were associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Researchers concluded: "The results of this large observational study indicate a strong association between levels of pre-diagnostic 25-(OH)D concentration and risk of colorectal cancer in western European populations. Further randomized trials are needed to assess whether increases in circulating 25-(OH)D concentration can effectively decrease the risk of colorectal cancer."
British Medical Journal Published online ahead of print.