VITAMIN D FIGHTS COLON CANCER!
But only for folks under 50
COLON cancer is on the rise among younger adults — even as overall cases decline — but a new study suggests vitamin D may help prevent the lifethreatening condition.
Study co-author Dr. Kimmie Ng of Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute explains “because vitamin D deficiency has been steadily increasing over the past few years, we wondered whether this could be contributing to the rising rates” of colon cancer in the younger demographic.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 94,000 women aged 25 to 42 in the long-term study, which began in 1989.
They say people who consumed at least 300 IU of vitamin D daily — roughly the amount of the nutrient found in three eight-ounce glasses of milk — saw their odds of developing the disease as young adults drop by 50 percent.
In addition, the scientists claim higher vitamin D consumption was linked with a lower risk of developing precancerous polyps before age 50.
However, the team notes they did not find a connection between vitamin D intake and colon cancer odds in those older than 50.
“Our results further support that vitamin D may be important in younger adults for health and possibly colorectal cancer prevention,” says Ng, who also serves as director of the institute’s Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center.
She suggests understanding risk factors for early onset cases of the disease could allow for informed decisions about diet and lifestyle — and identify individuals who may benefit from early screenings.