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May 4, 2010 – Consuming Vitamin D Supplements May Protect Women Against Breast Cancer, New Study Finds1 Canadian.
The researchers found that women who consumed at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day had a 24% lower risk of suffering from this disease than those who did not take any supplements.
However, vitamin D and calcium intake, from food or combined with supplements, would have no effect in preventing this cancer, either before or after menopause. However, the consumption of foods rich in vitamin D was low among the participants, say the authors of the study.
The research team obtained these results by analyzing the vitamin D and calcium intake of 3,101 Ontarians diagnosed with breast cancer and 3,470 healthy women (control group).
Breast cells contain vitamin D receptors, the study’s authors reminded us. This nutrient would thus play a role in regulating the division and proliferation of healthy cells, to the detriment of cancer cells.
According to the researchers, the data from the study suggests that there is a critical threshold for vitamin D supplementation of 400 IU per day.
Health Canada, which is currently revising its position, recommends a minimum total intake of 200 IU per day for those 50 and under. The Canadian Cancer Society sets this threshold at 1,000 IU. Some researchers are of the opinion that this intake should be 2000 IU.
The lack of link between a low intake of vitamin D from food or combined with supplements and the risk of breast cancer is contrary to the results of several studies, note the researchers. More work on higher dose vitamin D and calcium supplements is needed, they add.
Louis Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1 Anderson LN, Cotterchio M, et al. Vitamin D and calcium intakes and breast cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Apr 14.