Vitamin D deficiency •

Prostate cancer is the second main cause of death among American men, being surpassed only by lung cancer. It is estimated that one out of 38 men will die at some point because of this disease.

Despite such glooming statistics, scientists still haven’t been able to identify the exact element that puts it in motion, the only concrete explanation being that it is caused by changes in the DNA of a prostate cell.

However, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology seems to provide more insight into this matter, by correlating low levels of vitamin D with the development of aggressive prostate cancers.

Dr. Adam Murphy, who is a Northwestern Medicine urologist and the lead author of this study, explains that their findings indicate that vitamin D deficiency can actually help predict aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

According to Dr. Murphy, men who either have a low sun exposure or low vitamin D intake or darker skin color should get tested for such a deficiency once they have been diagnosed with prostate cancer or an elevated PSA and then correct that deficiency through supplements.

The research was conducted on 190 men of about 64 years of age who had undergone a prostatectomy between 2009 and 2014. Their investigation was part of an ongoing study which assessed the vitamin D levels of 1760 men from Chicago.

Out of the 190 men included in this study, 87 of them presented an aggressive form of prostate cancer and also below average levels of vitamin D. According to the results, each of them had approximately 22.7 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D in their system, while the normal amount is 30 nanograms per milliliter.

Dr. Murphy also suggests the fact that African American men who reside in low sunlight areas usually display lower levels of vitamin D than Caucasian men, which is why it is crucial for all men to examine their vitamin D levels and take concrete measures to correct them, as they could lead to serious health complications.

Because of the long hours that we spend in the office every day, it is very difficult to maintain our natural vitamin D intake at a normal level, which is why the Institute of Medicine recommends men to take 600 international units of vitamin D per day, while Dr. Murphy advises Chicago residents to take between 1,000-2,000 international units per day.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately one men in seven is diagnosed with prostate cancer throughout his lifetime. It usually occurs in men older than 65, but there are rare occasions when it is discovered before the age of 40.

Image Source: Prostatecancer911

According to a new research, newborn babies need more Vitamin D.

According to a new research, newborn babies need more Vitamin D. Scientists claim infants who are breastfed, particularly those who live far from the equator, need more Vitamin D. It appears that breast milk doesn’t have enough Vitamin D, especially for people who live in northern parts of the world. In northern parts of the world, Canada included, where mothers don’t get as much sunlight.

The Canadian Pediatric Society explained that babies who are breastfed should take Vitamin D supplements every day of the first year of life. Jonathon Maguire, pediatrician and researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, conducted a study on Vitamin D levels in children aged 1 to 5 years. For the study, 2, 500 healthy children were involved. Experts analyzed how long children were breastfed as well as their Vitamin D intake.

The results showed half of the children were breastfed for 10 months. Also, 53 percent of them were given Vitamin D supplements. For children whose breastfeeding period was longer, Vitamin D levels were lower. Researchers claimed that the risk of Vitamin D deficiency increased by 6 percent for each month that babies were breastfed after they were 1. By age 2, they showed a 16 percent possibility of having deficiencies.

By age 3 the data showed a 29 percent risk of Vitamin D deficiency. Jonathon Maguire claimed:

“The longer the child breastfeeds beyond a year of age, the lower the vitamin D levels go. Children who are receiving vitamin D supplementation and breastfed over a year of age don’t have that decline in Vitamin D levels”.

Moreover, Maguire said there is nothing wrong with breast milk. He emphasized it’s a necessary nutrient. However, it doesn’t contain enough Vitamin D, especially in mothers from northern parts of the world. Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue or impaired immune function. What’s more, in some cases Vitamin D levels are so low, that bone structure suffers massive changes.

The World Health Organization recommends mothers to breastfeed their babies for up to two years if there aren’t any problems. Nonetheless, mothers ought to give their children Vitamin D supplements on a daily basis at least in the first year of their life. Based on the fact that newborn babies need more Vitamin D, researchers claim that now mothers can take extra care of their infant, providing him all the vitamins he needs.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia

Study: Vitamin D Deficiency Can Help Develop Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Newborn Babies Need More Vitamin D

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