Scientists from the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University and other institutions have made an important discovery: taking vitamin D supplements may greatly reduce the risk of dying from cancer.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient your body needs to stay healthy. It helps your body absorb calcium, which is a key part of building strong bones. Together with calcium, vitamin D protects you from osteoporosis—a condition that makes bones thin, weak, and more likely to break.
But vitamin D does much more than support bones. Your muscles need it to move, and your nerves need it to send signals between the brain and the rest of your body. Your immune system also uses vitamin D to fight off germs like bacteria and viruses.
There are two main types of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is mostly made by humans and added to certain foods. Vitamin D3, on the other hand, is made naturally in your skin when you’re exposed to sunlight and is also found in some animal-based foods.
Many studies have shown that vitamin D3 is better than D2 at raising the level of vitamin D in your body. A recent review also confirmed that vitamin D3 is more effective for boosting vitamin D levels.
In this new study, the research team wanted to find out if taking vitamin D supplements could lower the risk of death in adults. They carefully reviewed 52 studies that had already been published. These studies included over 75,000 people.
What they found was interesting. Taking vitamin D supplements did not lower the overall risk of death from any cause. It also didn’t reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, other non-cancer illnesses, or from all other causes combined.
However, there was one major finding: people who took vitamin D had a 16% lower risk of dying from cancer. This shows that vitamin D could play a role in protecting people from cancer-related deaths.
When the team looked closer, they also found that people who took vitamin D3 had a lower overall risk of death compared to those who took vitamin D2. This supports the idea that vitamin D3 is the better form of the supplement.
The scientists say that while vitamin D might not prevent all types of deaths, it does appear to offer strong protection against cancer deaths. They believe more large studies are needed to see if vitamin D3 might also reduce the risk of death from other causes.
The research was conducted by Yu Zhang and colleagues and published in the well-known medical journal The BMJ. These findings are an important reminder of the potential health benefits of vitamin D—especially when it comes to cancer.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about Research shows a major cause of pancreatic cancer and findings of Dangerous chemical exposure linked to cancers in women.
For more about cancer, please read studies about Diabetes drug metformin is a promising ally in prostate cancer battle and findings of Colorectal cancer: The best screening test is the one you take.
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