Get More Sun

Independent Online

Revealed: the pill that prevents cancer
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Published: 28 December 2005

A daily dose of vitamin D could cut the risk of cancers of the breast, colon
and ovary by up to a half, a 40-year review of research has found. The
evidence for the protective effect of the "sunshine vitamin" is so
overwhelming that urgent action must be taken by public health authorities
to boost blood levels, say cancer specialists.

A growing body of evidence in recent years has shown that lack of vitamin D
may have lethal effects. Heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, high
blood pressure, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis are among the
conditions in which it is believed to play a vital role. The vitamin is also
essential for bone health and protects against rickets in children and
osteoporosis in the elderly.

Vitamin D is made by the action of sunlight on the skin, which accounts for
90 per cent of the body's supply. But the increasing use of sunscreens and
the reduced time spent outdoors, especially by children, has contributed to
what many scientists believe is an increasing problem of vitamin D
deficiency.

After assessing almost every scientific paper published on the link between
vitamin D and cancer since the 1960s, US scientists say that a daily dose of
1,000 international units (25 micrograms) is needed to maintain health. "
The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency combined with the discovery of
increased risks of certain types of cancer in those who are deficient,
suggest that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature
deaths from colon, breast, ovarian and other cancers annually," they say in
the online version of the American Journal of Public Health.

The dose they propose of 1,000IU a day is two-and-a-half times the current
recommended level in the US. In the UK, there is no official recommended
dose but grey skies and short days from October to March mean 60 per cent of
the population has inadequate blood levels by the end of winter.

The UK Food Standards Agency maintains that most people should be able to
get all the vitamin D they need from their diet and "by getting a little
sun". But the vitamin can only be stored in the body for 60 days.

High rates of heart disease in Scotland have been blamed on the weak
sunlight and short summers in the north, leading to low levels of vitamin D.
Differences in sunlight may also explain the higher rates of heart disease
in England compared with southern Europe. Some experts believe the health
benefits of the Mediterranean diet may have as much to do with the sun there
as with the regional food.

Countries around the world have begun to modify their warnings about the
dangers of sunbathing, as a result of the growing research on vitamin D. The
Association of Cancer Councils of Australia acknowledged this year for the
first time that some exposure to the sun was healthy.

Australia is one of the world's sunniest countries and has among the highest
rates of skin cancer. For three decades it has preached sun avoidance with
its "slip, slap, slop" campaign to cover up and use sunscreen. But in a
statement in March, the association said: "A balance is required between
avoiding an increase in the risk of skin cancer and achieving enough
ultraviolet radiation exposure to achieve adequate vitamin D levels." Bruce
Armstrong, the professor of public health at Sydney University, said: " It
is a revolution."

In the latest study, cancer specialists from the University of San Diego,
California, led by Professor Cedric Garland, reviewed 63 scientific papers
on the link between vitamin D and cancer published between 1966 and 2004.
People living in the north-eastern US, where it is less sunny, and African
Americans with darker skins were more likely to be deficient, researchers
found. They also had higher cancer rates.

The researchers say their finding could explain why black Americans die
sooner from cancer than whites, even after allowing for differences in
income and access to care.

Professor Garland said: "A preponderance of evidence from the best
observational studies... has led to the conclusion that public health action
is needed. Primary prevention of these cancers has been largely neglected,
but we now have proof that the incidence of colon, breast and ovarian cancer
can be reduced dramatically by increasing the public's intake of vitamin D."
Obtaining the necessary level of vitamin D from diet alone would be
difficult and sun exposure carries a risk of triggering skin cancer. "The
easiest and most reliable way of getting the appropriate amount is from food
and a daily supplement," they say.

The cost of a vitamin D supplement is about 4p a day. The UK Food Standards
Agency said that taking Vitamin D supplements of up to 1,000IU was "
unlikely to cause harm".
What it can do

Heart disease

Vitamin D works by lowering insulin resistance, which is one of the major
factors leading to heart disease.

Lung disease

Lung tissue undergoes repair and "remodelling" in life and, since vitamin D
influences the growth of a variety of cell types, it may play a role in this
lung repair process.

Cancers (breast, colon, ovary, prostate)

Vitamin D is believed to play an important role in regulating the production
of cells, a control that is missing in cancer. It has a protective effect
against certain cancers by preventing overproduction of cells.

Diabetes

In type 1 diabetes the immune system destroys its own cells. Vitamin D is
believed to act as an immunosuppressant. Researchers believe it may prevent
an overly aggressive response from the immune system.

High blood pressure

Vitamin D is used by the parathyroid glands that sit on the thyroid gland in
the neck. These secrete a hormone that regulates the body's calcium levels.
Calcium, in turn, helps to regulate blood pressure, although the mechanism
is not yet completely understood.

Schizophrenia

The chance of developing schizophrenia could be linked to how sunny it was
in the months before birth. A lack of sunlight can lead to vitamin D
deficiency, which scientists believe could alter the growth of a child's
brain in the womb.

Multiple sclerosis

Lack of vitamin D leads to limited production of 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D3,
the hormonal form of vitamin D3 which regulates the immune system, creating
a risk for MS.

Rickets and osteoporosis

The vitamin strengthens bones, protecting against childhood rickets and
osteoporosis in the elderly.

A daily dose of vitamin D could cut the risk of cancers of the breast, colon
and ovary by up to a half, a 40-year review of research has found. The
evidence for the protective effect of the "sunshine vitamin" is so
overwhelming that urgent action must be taken by public health authorities
to boost blood levels, say cancer specialists.

A growing body of evidence in recent years has shown that lack of vitamin D
may have lethal effects. Heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, high
blood pressure, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis are among the
conditions in which it is believed to play a vital role. The vitamin is also
essential for bone health and protects against rickets in children and
osteoporosis in the elderly.

Vitamin D is made by the action of sunlight on the skin, which accounts for
90 per cent of the body's supply. But the increasing use of sunscreens and
the reduced time spent outdoors, especially by children, has contributed to
what many scientists believe is an increasing problem of vitamin D
deficiency.

After assessing almost every scientific paper published on the link between
vitamin D and cancer since the 1960s, US scientists say that a daily dose of
1,000 international units (25 micrograms) is needed to maintain health. "
The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency combined with the discovery of
increased risks of certain types of cancer in those who are deficient,
suggest that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature
deaths from colon, breast, ovarian and other cancers annually," they say in
the online version of the American Journal of Public Health.

The dose they propose of 1,000IU a day is two-and-a-half times the current
recommended level in the US. In the UK, there is no official recommended
dose but grey skies and short days from October to March mean 60 per cent of
the population has inadequate blood levels by the end of winter.

The UK Food Standards Agency maintains that most people should be able to
get all the vitamin D they need from their diet and "by getting a little
sun". But the vitamin can only be stored in the body for 60 days.

High rates of heart disease in Scotland have been blamed on the weak
sunlight and short summers in the north, leading to low levels of vitamin D.
Differences in sunlight may also explain the higher rates of heart disease
in England compared with southern Europe. Some experts believe the health
benefits of the Mediterranean diet may have as much to do with the sun there
as with the regional food.

Countries around the world have begun to modify their warnings about the
dangers of sunbathing, as a result of the growing research on vitamin D. The
Association of Cancer Councils of Australia acknowledged this year for the
first time that some exposure to the sun was healthy.

Australia is one of the world's sunniest countries and has among the highest
rates of skin cancer. For three decades it has preached sun avoidance with
its "slip, slap, slop" campaign to cover up and use sunscreen. But in a
statement in March, the association said: "A balance is required between
avoiding an increase in the risk of skin cancer and achieving enough
ultraviolet radiation exposure to achieve adequate vitamin D levels." Bruce
Armstrong, the professor of public health at Sydney University, said: " It
is a revolution."

In the latest study, cancer specialists from the University of San Diego,
California, led by Professor Cedric Garland, reviewed 63 scientific papers
on the link between vitamin D and cancer published between 1966 and 2004.
People living in the north-eastern US, where it is less sunny, and African
Americans with darker skins were more likely to be deficient, researchers
found. They also had higher cancer rates.

The researchers say their finding could explain why black Americans die
sooner from cancer than whites, even after allowing for differences in
income and access to care.

Professor Garland said: "A preponderance of evidence from the best
observational studies... has led to the conclusion that public health action
is needed. Primary prevention of these cancers has been largely neglected,
but we now have proof that the incidence of colon, breast and ovarian cancer
can be reduced dramatically by increasing the public's intake of vitamin D."
Obtaining the necessary level of vitamin D from diet alone would be
difficult and sun exposure carries a risk of triggering skin cancer. "The
easiest and most reliable way of getting the appropriate amount is from food
and a daily supplement," they say.

The cost of a vitamin D supplement is about 4p a day. The UK Food Standards
Agency said that taking Vitamin D supplements of up to 1,000IU was "
unlikely to cause harm".
What it can do

Heart disease

Vitamin D works by lowering insulin resistance, which is one of the major
factors leading to heart disease.

Lung disease

Lung tissue undergoes repair and "remodelling" in life and, since vitamin D
influences the growth of a variety of cell types, it may play a role in this
lung repair process.

Cancers (breast, colon, ovary, prostate)

Vitamin D is believed to play an important role in regulating the production
of cells, a control that is missing in cancer. It has a protective effect
against certain cancers by preventing overproduction of cells.

Diabetes

In type 1 diabetes the immune system destroys its own cells. Vitamin D is
believed to act as an immunosuppressant. Researchers believe it may prevent
an overly aggressive response from the immune system.

High blood pressure

Vitamin D is used by the parathyroid glands that sit on the thyroid gland in
the neck. These secrete a hormone that regulates the body's calcium levels.
Calcium, in turn, helps to regulate blood pressure, although the mechanism
is not yet completely understood.

Schizophrenia

The chance of developing schizophrenia could be linked to how sunny it was
in the months before birth. A lack of sunlight can lead to vitamin D
deficiency, which scientists believe could alter the growth of a child's
brain in the womb.

Multiple sclerosis

Lack of vitamin D leads to limited production of 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D3,
the hormonal form of vitamin D3 which regulates the immune system, creating
a risk for MS.

Rickets and osteoporosis

The vitamin strengthens bones, protecting against childhood rickets and
osteoporosis in the elderly.
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