Cancer and Vitamin D

As early as 1941, it was observed that people living at higher latitude were at higher risk of dying of cancer. In the 1980's and the 1990's, several reports surfaced that revealed that living at higher latitude and being at higher risk of vitamin D deficency increased risk of developing and dying of cancers of the colon, rectum, prostate, breast, ovary. More recently, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of developing many other cancers including cancer of the esophagus, pancreas and leukemia. Women who were vitamin D deficient had a 253 per cent increase risk of developing colorectal cancer. Women taking 1,100 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day reduced overall risk of developing cancer by almost 70 per cent