Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be associated with a variety of cancers, including prostate (16,17), multiple myeloma, colorectal and breast cancer (18). Certain studies have shown vitamin D levels to have an inverse relation with cancer mortality (19–25), while others have considered it a potential risk factor.
In addition, there is a well-documented association between vitamin D intake and the risk of breast cancer. Low vitamin D intake has also been indicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. A vitamin D deficiency has also been documented in patients with prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, as well as multiple myeloma.
While some studies have found a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk for breast cancer as well as colon cancer and even non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, others have found no connection at all.
Vitamin D may decrease tumor invasiveness and propensity to metastasize, leading to reduced cancer mortality. Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels at diagnosis have been linked to longer survival in cancer patients.
Beta-carotene and vitamin E supplementation increase risk of lung, stomach, prostate cancer, and colorectal adenoma and overall mortality in the general population. Vitamin E and beta-carotene may reduce toxicity from radiotherapy, but there is an associated increase in recurrence especially among smokers.
Left untreated, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults, rickets in children and adverse outcomes in pregnant women. It may also be linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer — although more study is needed on the topic.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, and mood changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While many factors can influence those symptoms, if you haven't changed your lifestyle recently, such conditions may be signs of vitamin D deficiency.
"For both men and women, deficient levels of vitamin D were associated with a 30 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer," says Marji McCullough, a nutritional epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society and study co-author.
Vitamin D insufficiency is common in the United States, with low levels linked in some studies to higher cancer incidence, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
Symptoms may include breathing problems and neurological symptoms like visual changes, confusion, vomiting, loss of muscle control or seizures. Anyone with these symptoms needs medical attention immediately.
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency rickets can be life threatening. Vitamin D supplementation is therefore crucial, especially in breastfed infants and some ethnic minorities (dark-skinned people, poor sun exposure), more at risk for developing severe rickets if not supplemented.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with rickets, a disease in which the bone tissue doesn't properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Growing evidence has demonstrated that vitamin D has a role in sleep regulation [12]. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
How Much Vitamin D Do I Need Per Day? Besides going outdoors in the sunshine, there are two others ways to improve the amount of vitamin D in your system: eating foods rich in vitamin D and supplements. “Adding an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can make improvements in just three to four months time.
Oranges are one of the fruits rich in Vitamin D as its juice is fortified with calcium & vitamin D. This is one of the best sources of vitamin D for people who are lactose intolerant and cannot include milk & dairy products in their diet.
Vitamin D is one of the most studied supplements for cancer prevention and treatment right now. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E , and beta-carotene contain antioxidants once thought to help prevent cancer.
In studies of cancer cells and of tumors in mice, vitamin D has been found to have several activities that might slow or prevent the development of cancer, including promoting cellular differentiation, decreasing cancer cell growth, stimulating cell death (apoptosis), and reducing tumor blood vessel formation ( ...
Vitamin D deficiency increased the risk for breast cancer among both pre- and postmenopausal women. Bidgoli et al29 have studied serum 25(OH)D levels in Iran among newly diagnosed premenopausal women with breast cancer and showed more than 50% of analyzed individuals had very severe or severe vitamin D deficiency.