Benefits of Vitamin D | How to prevent colorectal cancer

In terms of health benefits, vitamin D is prominent – it has been linked to a lower incidence of depression and osteoporosis, especially – and now a study in the journal Gastroenterology suggests a reduced risk of colorectal (or colon) cancer on the list.

The researchers examined data from about 95,000 women who participated in Nurses ’Health Study II, a long-term study focused on chronic disease prevention that collects information on nutrition and other health factors. Over a 24-year period, those who ate foods with higher amounts of vitamin D had a 50% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, especially when they were younger.

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“This suggests that foods with vitamin D may be important for younger people as a way to prevent colorectal cancer, not just for older ones,” said study co-author Kimmie Ng, MD, director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center of Dana-. He told the Farber Cancer Institute World of the runner. This includes foods such as salmon, cheese, fortified dairy products, beef liver and egg yolks.

He added that previous research has already shown strong connections to the anti-cancer activity for the vitamin, but this link between lower risk for younger people (men and women) is really a big problem.

This is because colorectal cancer rates have declined in recent decades for the elderly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and are believed to be due to better screening. For example, more recent recommendations reduced the age at which screening should begin, advising people to start at 45 years old.

However, the incidence of these cancers in people under 40 is increasing and experts note that these patients are usually diagnosed in later stages, when cancers are more difficult to treat. It is unknown why this happens, but it is a major problem, Ng said.

“This relative increase has been documented since the mid-1990s, which is why we need to find ways to detect colorectal cancer earlier, but also look for ways to prevent that cancer,” he said.

For example, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance estimates that colon cancer could increase by 90% in people under 35 and that rectal cancer could increase by about 125% in the next 10 years. If this happens, it will become the leading cause of cancer deaths in people aged 20 to 49 years.

While simply stocking up on cheese and salmon may not be enough to completely prevent it, the recent study provides more evidence that it’s worth doing.

“Over the last few years, vitamin D deficiency has been steadily increasing,” Ng said. “So trying to fix it with dietary options is worth it.”

Other ways to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, include regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, eating less processed meat, and, as mentioned above, examining yourself soon.

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