Sunshine, Vitamin D, and Cancer
Vitamin D has always been linked to a long list of health benefits, including healthier skin and muscles. Now you can add "cancer prevention" to that list.
This news comes from two large, long-term surveys that showed that adults who get between 300 and 400 IU of vitamin D daily have a 43 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer-the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. (The recommended vitamin D intake for adults between the ages of 51 and 70 is 400 IU per day.)
Vitamin D is naturally created in your skin when it's exposed to ultraviolet light. It's also found in fortified dairy products.
Unfortunately, there is no way to effectively screen for pancreatic cancer. So that makes preventing it even more important.
During the two surveys, researchers analized data on vitamin D intake and pancreatic cancer risk from more than 120,000 men (ages 40 to 75) and women (ages 38 to 65). During the two surveys, 365 cases of pancreatic cancer were reported.
One of the two surveys showed that people who consumed the highest levels of vitamin D each day had a 43 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer than those who consumed smaller amounts. Even the people who only consumed between 150 IU and 299 IU each day still had a 22 percent lower risk of contracting pancreatic cancer.
Out of all the vitamins tested, vitamin D was the only one that showed this relationship.
I've told you the rundown on getting vitamin D plenty of times before, but just in case you missed it:
First of all, try to spend at least 10 minutes of SPF-free time in full sunshine every day, especially concentrating on your face and arms. In fact, the sun is pretty much the best source of vitamin D we have.
Next, look to foods. Certain fish are a great source of vitamin D, including halibut, catfish, pink salmon, and tuna. Milk is one of the most well-known sources. Try drinking at least a cup every day.
