Three more reasons not to be D-ficient

By Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

King Features Syndicate

Tiger Woods won it in 2000, 2002 and 2008; Rory McIlroy won it in 2011; Jordan Spieth, in 2015. But what did these three have in common at this year’s U.S. Open? This triple threat didn’t even make the cut.

It’s tough to see a triple threat like these guys booted out of the Open, but some triple threats need to be kicked to the sidelines! And that’s what the mighty vitamin D may help do to breast cancer, colon cancer and diabetes.

A recent study from UC San Diego School of Medicine found that women over age 55 with higher levels of vitamin D—above 60 nanograms per milliliter— had one-fifth the risk of breast cancer as those with less than the recommended levels (20-50 ng/ml).

Another study, the largest of its kind, from the American Cancer Society, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National Cancer Institute, found that lower levels of vitamin D are linked to colorectal cancer risk: Below current guidelines, a 31 percent increase in risk; above the guidelines, a 22 percent reduction in risk.

Finally, a third study from UC San Diego School of Medicine and Seoul National University found that people with blood levels of vitamin D above 30 ng/ml had onethird of the risk of diabetes and those with levels above 50 ng/ml had one-fifth the risk.

So get a blood test to measure your D level, and if it’s low, ask your doc how to bring it up to 60 ng/ml or better with diet and supplements.