AsianScientist (May. 2, 2014) – Having higher levels of vitamin D increases survival rates in patients with cancer, according to a Chinese study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Vitamin D is naturally produced by the body after sunlight exposure or intake of certain foods. Apart from helping in calcium and phosphorus absorption by the body, it also binds to a protein receptor contained in all cells, which makes it important for many biological processes.
The study, which was conducted at the Key Laboratory of Food Safety Research of the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), assessed the associations of circulating vitamin D levels in cancer patients and their clinical prognoses.
“By reviewing studies that collectively examined vitamin D levels in 17,332 cancer patients, our analysis demonstrated that vitamin D levels are linked to better outcomes in several types of cancer,” said co-author Professor Hui Wang of the SIBS Institute for Nutritional Sciences.
According to Wang, vitamin D may in particular influence the prognosis for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lymphoma patients. For other cancers, despite the weak link with vitamin D levels, the available data still indicated a positive connection.
The article can be found at: Li et al. (2014) The Impacts of Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels on Cancer Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
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Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Photo: Bradley Stemke/Flickr/CC.
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