Welcome to Weekly Health Update

“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”

VITAMIN D DECREASES DIABETES RISK

I have written extensively about Vitamin D in the past, particularly in the areas of cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease prevention.  As regular readers of this column already know, Vitamin D, which actually functions more like a hormone than a vitamin, appears to be the only vitamin with clinically significant cancer prevention and cardiovascular disease prevention properties.  Now, a newly published clinical research study suggests that higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes.  This new clinical study appears in the current issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.

This new report comes from a large cancer screening trial, the U.S. Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. A total of 2,500 patient volunteers were extensively surveyed and examined, and the following clinical data was collected for all participants: gender, age, geographical location, educational level, smoking history, body mass index (BMI), level of physical activity, and diet (including Vitamin D and calcium intake). Importantly, all of these study participants underwent testing for Vitamin D levels in their blood.

After adjusting for known risk factors associated with developing diabetes (such as BMI, physical activity level, smoking, and total dietary energy intake), the scientists conducting this study found a very strong association between Vitamin D levels in the blood and diabetes risk. In this moderately large clinical research study, the likelihood of having diabetes was more than three times greater among patient volunteers with low levels of Vitamin D (less than 72 pmol/L) when compared with patients who had higher levels of Vitamin D (103 pmol/L or greater).  Once again, this dramatic association between Vitamin D levels in the blood and diabetes risk persisted even after accounting for diabetes risk factors associated with each individual patient volunteer.

The findings of this prospectively conducted clinical research study add considerable weight to previous observations that diabetes is more common in people who live in areas where Vitamin D levels are known to be low throughout the population. Although the mechanism whereby Vitamin D may reduce the risk of diabetes is not known at this time, previous research in laboratory mice has demonstrated that chemical receptors for Vitamin D can be found in the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. This finding, together with an increasing volume of research data linking low Vitamin D levels to a higher risk of developing diabetes, suggests that Vitamin D probably plays a direct role in modulating insulin production by the pancreas, as well as in determining the sensitivity of our bodies to circulating insulin.

For additional evidence-based information on Vitamin D as part of a cancer prevention lifestyle, please click on the following links:

A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race

Vitamin D Significantly Reduces Colorectal Cancer Risk

Vitamin D and Dementia

Breast Cancer Recurrence and Vitamin D

Vitamin D and Falls in the Elderly

Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer Survival

Vitamin and Breast Cancer Risk

Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”

VITAMIN D SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES COLORECTAL CANCER RISK

As I discuss in my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, recent high-level clinical research studies have pretty much debunked the widely held belief that Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, beta-carotene, or selenium supplements are able to decrease cancer risk in humans,  However, as I also discuss in my book, there is an abundance of research data suggesting that Vitamin D (which actually functions more like a hormone than a vitamin) may, indeed, offer protection against certain types of cancer (as well as cardiovascular disease).  Unfortunately, however, as with all laboratory and clinical research findings, one can easily find other research studies that have reached contradictory results.

Meta-analysis is a powerful method of statistically combining the results of multiple smaller research studies, which often differ from each other in their methods, into one large “meta-study.”  While meta-analysis cannot always overcome the limitations of poorly conducted or otherwise weak research studies, it is a valuable tool to use in studying clinical problems for which large-scale prospective randomized clinical research trials have not yet been performed.

A newly published meta-analysis of the effects of Vitamin D on colorectal cancer risk appears in the current issue of the journalCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.  In this meta-analysis, the findings of multiple previous Vitamin D clinical research studies were analyzed.  For every 100 IU of Vitamin D intake per day (up to 600 IU per day), a 5 percent decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer was observed.  Similarly, for every 100 IU/liter increase in the concentration of Vitamin D in the blood (up to 1800 IU/liter), colorectal cancer risk decreased by 4 percent.

The results of this meta-analysis confirm the findings numerous other prospective clinical research studies linking increased dietary intake of Vitamin D, and higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood, with a significant reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer.

Because excessive Vitamin D intake can cause serious health problems, I always recommend that you check with your doctor, first, before starting Vitamin D supplements (or other vitamin supplements).

For a complete evidence-based discussion of Vitamin D as a cancer prevention nutrient, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”

VITAMIN D AND DEATH DUE TO COLORECTAL CANCER

Based upon recent high quality clinical research, only Vitamin D, among all vitamins, appears to have potentially significant cancer prevention effects.  However, as with all areas of clinical and laboratory research, one can find contradictory research results for Vitamin D, as well.

An innovative prospective clinical research study is now reporting its results, which appear to link Vitamin D deficiency to colorectal cancer death rates.  As with previous research studies, the findings of this study strongly suggest that Vitamin D deficiency may be linked with a higher risk of death due to colorectal cancer.  The findings of this clinical research study appear in the current issue of the journal Cancer.

An interesting and unique aspect of this particular clinical research study was its evaluation of the potential impact of Vitamin D deficiency on the well-known increased risk of death due to colorectal cancer that has been observed in African-Americans when compared to Caucasian patients.  As our bodies create active Vitamin D from exposure of our skin to sunlight, and as people with darkly pigmented skin are more prone to developing Vitamin D deficiency, when compared to lightly-pigmented people, the authors of this study sought to assess the potential colorectal cancer risk impact of Vitamin D deficiency on patient volunteers with darkly pigmented skin.

In this large public health study, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which was conducted between 1988 and 1994, blood levels of Vitamin D were measured in study volunteers.  Patients with a Vitamin D level of less than 20 ng/dL were considered to be deficient in Vitamin D.

As previous public health studies have also shown, the results of this study indicated that African-Americans are twice as likely to die of colorectal cancer when compared to Caucasians.  When blood levels of Vitamin D were considered, specifically, the increased risk of dying from colorectal cancer observed in African-American patients decreased by 40 percent among those African-Americans who had normal levels of Vitamin D in their blood.  (These results, therefore, suggest that at least 40 percent of the increased risk of dying from colorectal cancer in African-American persons is likely to be caused by Vitamin D deficiency.)  When patients of all races were considered in terms of Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for death due to colorectal cancer,patient volunteers with a blood level of Vitamin D less than 20 ng/dL were more than twice as likely (i.e., a 211 percent increase in risk)to die of colorectal cancer during the course of this prospective research study, when compared with patients who had normal Vitamin D levels.

In summary, this large prospectively conducted public health study found, as have previous studies, a significant association between Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of dying from colorectal cancer.  (Previous Vitamin D studies have also identified a 25 to 40 percent reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer, and death due to colorectal cancer, in study volunteers with blood Vitamin D levels in the 30 to 40 ng/dL range.)  While not all clinical research studies have shown this level of colorectal cancer risk reduction associated with normal blood levels of Vitamin D, this particular study joins a growing list of clinical studies that appear to show a significant reduction in colorectal cancer risk associated with adequate levels of Vitamin D in the blood.

As excessive Vitamin D intake can cause significant health problems (especially in patients with kidney disease and parathyroid gland disease), you should check with your doctor prior to considering the use of Vitamin D supplements.

For a complete discussion of Vitamin D as a cancer prevention agent, and other evidence-based approaches to cancer risk and cancer prevention, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.