Can Vitamin D prevent colon cancer?
10/2016
By Dr. C. Joseph Bennett
In many of my previous columns I have touched on the subject of vitamins and other supplements. Some vitamins and supplements seem to provide protection against some forms of cancer, while others do not offer this benefit.
An article published in the journal Science finds that Vitamin D can reduce the risk of colon cancer by helping the body get rid of a highly toxic digestive acid. Researchers hope that these findings will someday help in the development of drugs that will protect against colon cancer.
For decades we have known that diets high in animal fat, such as the diet followed by most people in this country, lead to a higher risk of a colon cancer. For many years, we have also felt that Vitamin D may help to prevent colon cancer.
Vitamin D serves many purposes in our body.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, and therefore maintain strong bones. That is why Vitamin D is added to milk and other food products. In societies where Vitamin D supplies are low, many people often suffer from a disease known as rickets, where they produce bone tissue which is deficient in calcium. This often leads to a malformation of many different bones. In the United States this is very rare due in part to the addition of Vitamin D to many of our food products and milk.
In Western countries such as the United States, colon cancer has been linked to diets that are high in red meat and animal fat.
In order for us to digest these foods, our body makes lithocholic acid. Lithocholic acid is one of the most toxic compounds that our body naturally produces. Animal studies have found that if you inject this acid directly into an animal’s colon, they will develop colon cancer. Humans have evolved to deal with this acid by breaking it down. Our bodies utilize Vitamin D receptors to detoxify this acid and break it down to prevent high levels from accumulating in the colon. Unfortunately, a diet that is very high in meat and animal fat can push this detoxifying system past its limit.
Several studies of colon cancer patients have found that they have high concentrations of lithocholic acid in their system. This may be because they eat so much red meat and fat that they are pushing the detoxifying system beyond its limit, or it can be related to a true Vitamin D deficiency.
All of this information is encouraging in the fight against colon cancer. However, taking extra Vitamin D to protect against colon cancer is not the answer.
Too much Vitamin D can be toxic to the body. Therefore, one should make sure they are getting the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D, but not take exorbitant doses of Vitamin D.
According to the National Institutes of Health, adults should get 400 IU of Vitamin D each day. Those over 70 years of age need 600 IU a day, but no one should consider more than 2,000 IU per day. Too much Vitamin D causes too much calcium in the blood stream, which can lead to kidney problems, bone problems, a buildup of calcium in muscles, and heart disease.
The key to lowering the risk of colon cancer is to make sure that your diet contains an adequate amount of Vitamin D, as well as lowering you intake of red meats and animal fats.
Dr. C. Joseph Bennett is a board certified radiation oncologist. If you have any suggestions for topics, or have any questions, please contact him at 522 North Lecanto Highway, Lecanto, FL 34461, or e-mail at [email protected].
http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/can-vitamin-d-prevent-colon-cancer
By Dr. C. Joseph Bennett
In many of my previous columns I have touched on the subject of vitamins and other supplements. Some vitamins and supplements seem to provide protection against some forms of cancer, while others do not offer this benefit.
An article published in the journal Science finds that Vitamin D can reduce the risk of colon cancer by helping the body get rid of a highly toxic digestive acid. Researchers hope that these findings will someday help in the development of drugs that will protect against colon cancer.
For decades we have known that diets high in animal fat, such as the diet followed by most people in this country, lead to a higher risk of a colon cancer. For many years, we have also felt that Vitamin D may help to prevent colon cancer.
Vitamin D serves many purposes in our body.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, and therefore maintain strong bones. That is why Vitamin D is added to milk and other food products. In societies where Vitamin D supplies are low, many people often suffer from a disease known as rickets, where they produce bone tissue which is deficient in calcium. This often leads to a malformation of many different bones. In the United States this is very rare due in part to the addition of Vitamin D to many of our food products and milk.
In Western countries such as the United States, colon cancer has been linked to diets that are high in red meat and animal fat.
In order for us to digest these foods, our body makes lithocholic acid. Lithocholic acid is one of the most toxic compounds that our body naturally produces. Animal studies have found that if you inject this acid directly into an animal’s colon, they will develop colon cancer. Humans have evolved to deal with this acid by breaking it down. Our bodies utilize Vitamin D receptors to detoxify this acid and break it down to prevent high levels from accumulating in the colon. Unfortunately, a diet that is very high in meat and animal fat can push this detoxifying system past its limit.
Several studies of colon cancer patients have found that they have high concentrations of lithocholic acid in their system. This may be because they eat so much red meat and fat that they are pushing the detoxifying system beyond its limit, or it can be related to a true Vitamin D deficiency.
All of this information is encouraging in the fight against colon cancer. However, taking extra Vitamin D to protect against colon cancer is not the answer.
Too much Vitamin D can be toxic to the body. Therefore, one should make sure they are getting the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D, but not take exorbitant doses of Vitamin D.
According to the National Institutes of Health, adults should get 400 IU of Vitamin D each day. Those over 70 years of age need 600 IU a day, but no one should consider more than 2,000 IU per day. Too much Vitamin D causes too much calcium in the blood stream, which can lead to kidney problems, bone problems, a buildup of calcium in muscles, and heart disease.
The key to lowering the risk of colon cancer is to make sure that your diet contains an adequate amount of Vitamin D, as well as lowering you intake of red meats and animal fats.
Dr. C. Joseph Bennett is a board certified radiation oncologist. If you have any suggestions for topics, or have any questions, please contact him at 522 North Lecanto Highway, Lecanto, FL 34461, or e-mail at [email protected].
http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/can-vitamin-d-prevent-colon-cancer
