To discover the interesting connection between vitamin D and cancer is what investigators have been striving for many years. According to epidemiological studies, people who live near the equator, wherein exposure to sunlight generates more vitamin D, the incidence and deaths associated with cancer is lower.
Meanwhile, during study of cancer cells in mouse models and in the lab, vitamin D has been found to slow progression of cancer. However, the results obtained from randomized clinical trials on humans do not yet yield a clear answer.
Study called ‘VITAL’ refutes role of Vitamin D to reduce incidence of cancer
On the other hand, The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial that concluded in 2018, reveals that vitamin D did not lessen overall prevalence of cancer. However, vitamin D hints at a reduced risk of cancer deaths.
Further, a secondary analysis of The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial narrows down the connection between use of vitamin D supplements and risk of fatal or metastatic cancer.
In fact, a paper published in the JAMA Network Open reports that vitamin D is associated with an overall 17 percent reduced risk of advanced cancer.
“According to the finding, vitamin D reduces the risk of developing advanced cancers,” said co-author of the study. And, vitamin D is a supplement that is readily available, cheap, and has been used and investigated for decades.
Earlier, The VITAL study was rigorous, placebo-controlled that took place over a period of more than five years. The study included men of 50 years and above, and women who were 55 years or above and did not have cancer at the beginning of the trial. The sample population that was studied ethnically and racially diverse.