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Vitamin D and Breast Cancer
Vitamin D has long been suspected of playing some role in reducing
breast cancer risk.
The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Dietary sources include
fish, eggs, fortified milk products, and cereals. Salmon, tuna,
mackerel, and sardines are the fish that provide the highest levels
of vitamin D.
The amount of time we need to expose our skin to sunlight to get
enough vitamin D has not been firmly established, but 5 to 10
minutes of exposure to your face and arms twice a week between
10 am and 3 pm should be sufficient throughout the year in the
southern part of the US. (This is the area south of a line extending
across the country from Columbia, South Carolina to Los Angeles.)
In parts of the north, the sun is not strong enough to induce
vitamin D production in our skin from November to February. This
would include the area north of a line extending roughly across the
country from the northern border of California to Boston.
While sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, it is important for
some -- especially those living in northern areas -- to have food
sources or low-level supplementation. Even with the
recommended amount of exposure to sunlight, some individuals
may not produce enough vitamin D. Individuals with darker skin do
not produce vitamin D as effectively as those with light skin in
response to sunlight. And no matter how light the skin color, our
ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight declines as we get older.
Sunscreens block the rays that stimulate vitamin D production, but
many doctors caution patients that exposure to the sun without
them may cause skin cancers. Time in the sun without sunscreen
should be limited, but the benefits from sensible sun exposure
would seem to outweigh the risks except for those at high risk for
skin cancer.
breast cancer risk.
The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Dietary sources include
fish, eggs, fortified milk products, and cereals. Salmon, tuna,
mackerel, and sardines are the fish that provide the highest levels
of vitamin D.
The amount of time we need to expose our skin to sunlight to get
enough vitamin D has not been firmly established, but 5 to 10
minutes of exposure to your face and arms twice a week between
10 am and 3 pm should be sufficient throughout the year in the
southern part of the US. (This is the area south of a line extending
across the country from Columbia, South Carolina to Los Angeles.)
In parts of the north, the sun is not strong enough to induce
vitamin D production in our skin from November to February. This
would include the area north of a line extending roughly across the
country from the northern border of California to Boston.
While sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, it is important for
some -- especially those living in northern areas -- to have food
sources or low-level supplementation. Even with the
recommended amount of exposure to sunlight, some individuals
may not produce enough vitamin D. Individuals with darker skin do
not produce vitamin D as effectively as those with light skin in
response to sunlight. And no matter how light the skin color, our
ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight declines as we get older.
Sunscreens block the rays that stimulate vitamin D production, but
many doctors caution patients that exposure to the sun without
them may cause skin cancers. Time in the sun without sunscreen
should be limited, but the benefits from sensible sun exposure
would seem to outweigh the risks except for those at high risk for
skin cancer.
For more information:
The Facts About Supplements
American Institute for Cancer Research
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
Office of Dietary Supplements
The Facts About Supplements
American Institute for Cancer Research
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
Office of Dietary Supplements
The information on this web site is based on studies reported in scientific journals and is meant to be used in conjunction
with medical care -- not in place of it. For medical questions, consult your doctor and the references in the Resource section.
with medical care -- not in place of it. For medical questions, consult your doctor and the references in the Resource section.