How Does Vitamin D Prevent Breast Cancer? The Research Studies from researchers on the GrassrootsHealth scientist panel  have shown that there is a correlation between vitamin D serum levels and breast cancer. Cedric Garland, Dr. P.H., F.A.C.E., UCSD School of Medicine, studied 1200 healthy women with low vitamin D serum levels three months before diagnosis of breast cancer. Those with the lowest levels of vitamin D experienced a risk three times greater than those in the highest level group. This study does not establish a relationship between breast cancer and vitamin D but it points to a relevant window of time for cancer prevention in the last three months preceding a tumor diagnosis. This is a critical time for the growth of the tumor as the tumor is actively recruiting blood vessels necessary for tumor growth. A study at Creighton University indicated that a dose of 1100 IU/day of vitamin D along with calcium helped women to raise their average serum vitamin D level to 40 ng/ml (from a baseline of 30 ng/ml) and prevent 4 out of 5, or 80%, of all invasive cancers including breast cancer, accompanied by a 50% reduction in mortality for those already diagnosed.
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10-min Interview: Does Vitamin D Prevent Cancer?
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How does it work?
Dr. JoEllen Welsh, Empire Innovations Professor at University at Albany, State University of New York and GenNYsis Center of Excellence in Cancer Genomics, explains the biological mechanisms of how vitamin D targets the behaviors that distinguish a cancer cell from a normal cell. View the video "Vitamin D Stops Breast Cancer Growth" (see References sidebar). Briefly, vitamin D helps to regulate hundreds of normal cell processes, including cell growth  and differentiation, protection from DNA damage, immune system response in breast cells, cellular metabolism, and cell death. When not properly regulated, any of these processes can contribute to growth and proliferation of cancer cells. GrassrootsHealth Breast Cancer Study GrassrootsHealth has been advocating vitamin D to reduce breast cancer since its inception in 2009 but the medical community is slow to respond. In fall 2011, we launched a new breast cancer study, to parallel our D*action study. The study is open to women 60 years or older and free of cancer at the time of enrollment (they may have had it in the past). Participation includes a home vitamin D test and an online health questionnaire to be completed each 6 months for a period of 5 years. We have 3 cohorts: International, Northwest Arkansas, and Canada. As of our most recent analysis, 839 of 844 women remain cancer-free and have a median 25(OH)D serum level of 50 ng/ml. Five women have been diagnosed with breast cancer; four of these women had 25(OH)D values below the median. Overall there was an 80% reduction in breast cancer among those ≥50 ng/ml compared to those <50 ng/ml. Click here to view the full poster.
The study is ongoing and with your help, we can bring research into practice and prevent breast cancer through vitamin D. | 
