Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk

Moderate exposure to sunlight promotes good health

Who says vitamin D is just for kids? Certainly not Dr. Northrup! Research is now revealing a far greater role for vitamin D—including the prevention of breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal cancer.¹

In fact, Dr. Northrup says that suboptimal levels of vitamin D may be one of the reasons why breast cancer incidence is higher in northern latitudes than near the equator. Research has shown that women who have blood levels of vitamin D above 52 ng/ml have half the risk of breast cancer as those with lower levels. Most women have to take 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day (either from sunlight, eating fish, or supplementation) to get this level.² Adequate vitamin D would also prevent scores of women from getting the brittle bones associated with aging.

It’s even estimated that additional exposure to vitamin D would save more than 23,000 American lives per year due to the reduction in cancer mortality.³

“Though today we’re taught to be afraid of the sun, all of us, including children, need regular sunlight to be healthy,” Dr. Northrup explains. “Our inner wisdom knows this, and that’s why despite all the propaganda about the dangers of sun exposure, millions of people still flock to the beach. The sun just feels too good to be all that bad!”

In addition to increasing serotonin levels in our blood and helping to balance melatonin, the sun’s UV rays enable our bodies to manufacture vitamin D in the fat layer under the skin.⁴ Exposure to outdoor sunlight is a much more reliable predictor of vitamin D levels in your blood than your dietary intake.

The body can make enough vitamin D from sun exposure to last the entire year! The more body area that’s exposed the better. Full-body exposure to sunlight on clear days at equatorial latitudes can easily provide the equivalent of 4,000 to 20,000 IU in less than 30 minutes in those with lightly pigmented skin. Those with darker pigmentation need more.

The key is moderation and avoidance of sunburn. Early morning or late afternoon sun is the safest. Avoid midday sun whenever possible. When I sunbathe, I always stop before getting any sign of a burn.

Need more vitamin D in your life? Here are a few tips from Dr. Northrup:

• Take your vitamin D supplement.
  (minimum of 1,000 IU per day)
  
• Get additional vitamin D by eating fish.
  Wild sockeye salmon, silver salmon, and albacore tuna contain anywhere from 300-700 IUs of vitamin D per 3.5 oz. serving, depending on the supplier. Consider eating these types of fish regularly.
  
• Consider a series of short visits to the tanning booth if you live in the North.
  (Don't get red!)
  
• Take a sunbath when you can.
  I'd recommend using sunscreen on your face. The rest of your body can absorb the UV light and make the vitamin D.

References

1. Holick MF. 2004. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr, 79:362-71.
2. Garland CF, Mohr SB, Gorham ED, Grant WB, Garland FC. Evidence of need for increased vitamin D fortification of food based on pooled analysis of studies of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer. Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res 2006;47:[Abstract 4008]
3. Northrup, Christiane, M.D., 2005. Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a Legacy of Physical and Emotional Health, Bantam: New York. p. 217.
4. Ibid., 216.