Vitamin D Fails To Reduce Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women

Supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium did not significantly reduce the risk of cancer among postmenopausal women, according to a randomized, controlled study published in JAMA.

Some studies showed an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and cancer risk. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on cancer risk. This trial randomly assigned 2303 postmenopausal women to receive 2000 IU of vitamin D3 and 1500 mg of calcium per day or placebo for 4 years, with follow-up up visits every 6 months.

At baseline, the mean age was 65, 99% were non-Hispanic Caucasian, and the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 33 ng/mL. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels rose to 43.9 ng/mL by 12 months and was maintained during the 4-year study. In the placebo group, the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level remained around 31 ng/mL throughout the study.

At 4 years, 3.89% of women in the vitamin D3 group and 5.58% in the placebo group were diagnosed with cancer (difference, 1.69%; 95% CI, -0.06-3.46%; P = .06), resulting in an incidence of 0.042 (95% CI, 0.032-0.056) and 0.06 (95% CI, 0.048-0.076; P = .06), respectively. Vitamin D supplementation was not associated with reduced cancer risk with a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.47-1.02). The lack of association may be a result of the higher baseline serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D compared with the general US population, according to the authors.

With Winter Here, Many Kids Could Use Vitamin D Supplements

KATHERINE HOBSON

My 3-year-old drinks milk, but not very much of it, and that could be a problem for her.

We live in the Northeast, where the sun's rays are weaker. And now that the days are shorter, my kid arrives at day care a few hours after sunrise and leaves when it's dark. That all made me wonder whether she's getting enough vitamin D, and if not, what we should be doing about it.

Why should I, or anyone else, care about vitamin D? It's essential to building strong bones during childhood and adolescence. Children who are extremely low in the nutrient can develop rickets, which is characterized by soft, weak bones. Some research has tied low levels of vitamin D in active teen girls with higher rates of stress fractures. There have been a host of studies associating low vitamin D levels with other chronic diseases and ailments, but the Institute of Medicine, or IOM, says there's no direct evidence that low levels cause those problems.

It turns out that given my daughter's demographics, there's a good chance she's low on D. She hasn't been tested. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last year recommended against routinely screening everyone for vitamin D deficiency, saying there isn't enough evidence to assess the benefits and harms. But there are some data to suggest that a significant percentage of children aren't meeting the floor of 20 nanograms of 25-hydroxyvitamin D per milliliter of blood serum that the IOM says is sufficient for most people to maintain bone health. Some medical groups argue for a higher bar of 30 ng/mL.

A study published in 2008 looked at infants and toddlers visiting a primary care clinic in Boston. Of the 380 kids studied, 12 percent had levels below 20 ng/mL, and 40 percent below 30 ng/mL. Research has shown that an even greater percentage of teens are deficient in vitamin D. That's likely because they drink less milk and spend less time playing outside than younger kids, says Deborah Mitchell, a pediatric endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

To maintain sufficient vitamin D levels in the blood, the IOM recommends taking in 400 international units, or IU, of vitamin D per day in the first 12 months of life and 600 IU for older kids. (The American Academy of Pediatrics supports those recommendations.)

But it can be hard to get that much D through diet alone. The vitamin occurs naturally in salmon, mackerel, sardines and shiitake mushrooms, none of which is high on my child's list of favorites. Fortified foods like milk, some yogurts, cheese, some cereals and orange juice are available, but still may not be enough. Each cup of fortified milk or orange juice, for example, contains 100 IU of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin. Indeed, on a clear day between the months of May and October, about five minutes of daily exposure is enough to spur lighter-skinned kids into making enough of the nutrient. Kids with darker skin tones need more sun exposure.

But most parents are told to slather their children in sunscreen every time they leave the house in order to prevent future skin cancers. And even if you do let your kid get a bit more sunshine, during the winter in the northern latitudes, it's not enough. "You could be naked all day in Minnesota or Seattle and you'd make no vitamin D. The sun is just too low in the sky," says Frank Greer, professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and former chair of the AAP committee on nutrition.

Given all that, "it's probably not a bad idea for anyone, realistically," to take vitamin D supplements, says Mitchell. That doesn't mean that more is always better. The IOM's recommended upper limit of D consumption for children ranges from 1,000 IU for infants to 4,000 IU for teenagers and adults.

Children's multivitamins contain vitamin D, so if your kid or teen doesn't have any special health problems that prevent nutrient absorption and is already chomping a daily Flintstones, he's set. If you'd prefer to get a standalone vitamin D kid's supplement, it may be harder to find on drugstore shelves, but I found liquid, chewable and gummy options online.

Does vitamin D deficiency cause hair loss?

Mary Frances

Seeing your hair strands falling off on your shoulders or sticking to your soapy hands while bathing could be a loathsome sight for you. While losing close to 100 of those everyday is reckoned to be normal, you might have to perform a closer inspection of your diet, or your nutrient deficiencies for that matter.

A recent study just made news by exposing a potential connection between hair loss and vitamin D deficiency. Let’s dig deeper into the connection.

“This is the first time vitamin D’s possible role in hair loss has been highlighted,” stated a dermatologist from Cairo University, Rania Mounir Abdel Hay.

Why is there a widespread vitamin D deficiency in America?

Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, plays its part in warding off serious conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and deserves its reputation of being vital for human health. But how is it produced? Well, as the name suggests, when the sun shines on you, it converts a chemical located in your skin into a form which is further transformed into active vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin. A big reason for vitamin D deficiency being so prevalent throughout the U.S. is not getting enough sunlight as “under-the-office-roof” jobs have taken over the modern society.

Important information about hair loss

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the root causes of hair loss. However, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, androgenetic alopecia, aka male/female-pattern baldness or simply hereditary hair loss, accounts for the recurrent cause affecting almost 80 million Americans today. While low-protein diets, poor nutrition, stress, and genetics could be blamed for seeing hair strands stuck in your hairbrush, underlying problems or diseases like lupus, thyroid abnormality, and diabetes are major culprits.

Read between the lines: Vitamin D deficiency linked to hair loss

A 2013 study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology concluded a possible connection between types of hair loss and low levels of vitamin D coupled with low levels of ferritin. The study, which examined 80 female participants, had particularly unveiled telogen effluvium (TE), which is caused due to excessive hair shedding and female-pattern hair loss type and their relationship with serum levels of vitamin D and ferritin.

Hay explained the significance of vitamin D for hair growth. “It might regulate the expression of genes that promote normal hair follicle growth.” In addition, the effect of low iron levels inhibiting an important enzyme also explains how both nutrients could affect the health of your hair.

Vitamin D supplements could be alternative treatments

While clinical researches have been loud in announcing the potential link between hair loss and vitamin D deficiency, this does not present a cemented proof for direct cause and effect relationship. We need to understand that science is still making its way through the mystery of hair loss.

Vitamin D supplementation could be used as a treatment for reducing vitamin D deficiency symptoms for those who do not get themselves enough regular sunlight and lack a sufficient dietary vitamin D portion through fortified foods. Having said that, one should be cautioned about the excessive intake of these supplements as it may bring dreadful effects on the body such as abnormal heart rhythms, nausea, constipation, and mental confusion.