Breast cancer in laboratory mice with deficient levels of vitamin D grew faster and were more likely to metastasize.
These are the results of a new study in the journal Endocrinology. Vitamin D deficiency directly results in an increase in the expression of a gene (ID1) that promotes breast cancer metastasis.
The team also studied 34 human breast cancer patients and found that levels of vitamin D affected expression levels of ID1 protein in their tumors. Although more research needs to be done Brian Feldman, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Stanford, is “very optimistic that restoring physiological levels of vitamin D in people that are deficient and at risk for developing breast cancer will have some beneficial impact.”
Fatty fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, and eel all contain vitamin D. AlexPro9500/iStock
