Can a high vitamin D level do that?Reduce breast cancer risk? Researchers from Denmark recently published a new study that suggests this. According to scientists, women who work in fresh air are less at risk of developing breast cancer.
In Western countries, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. In the past, it mostly affected women over 50, but in recent years more and more young women have been suffering from it. Today there are several treatment options that, if diagnosed early, significantly increase the chances of recovery. Nevertheless, doctors and researchers place great value on prevention.
Vitamin D plays a key role in the function of nerves and muscles, promotes the immune system and supports the mineralization of bones. The fat-soluble vitamin is also considered to play an important role in the prevention of breast cancer. A team of researchers from the Center for Cancer Research in Copenhagen, Denmark, wanted to find out whether UV sunlight and high vitamin D levels can really protect against breast cancer. To do this, they conducted an observational study, exploring the medical records of over 38,000 women with breast cancer and comparing them with the medical records of five healthy women. They divided the test subjects into two groups. The first group consisted of women who have spent most of their working lives (over 20 years) outdoors. The second group consisted of women who worked indoors and were therefore exposed to sunlight less often. Other risk factors such as weight, alcohol consumption, smoking or hormonal disorders were not taken into account.
After an in-depth analysis, the researchers found that the women in the first test group were significantly less at risk of developing cancer after the age of 50 than the women in the second test group. The results of the study confirm that vitamin D could indeed have a protective role. Especially in countries where many people suffer from a vitamin D deficiency in winter, additional vitamin intake would make sense. Women over 50 years of age in particular can seek advice from their family doctor as to whether an additional dose of the fat-soluble vitamin is necessary.
