April 27, 2016

Director's Letter

Carole Baggerly

Director, GrassrootsHealth

Our recent paper, Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations ≥40 ng/ml Are Associated with >65% Lower Cancer Risk: Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trial and Prospective Cohort Study, published April 6 in PLOS ONE, has gotten tremendous press! Thanks to all who have participated in this, especially UCSD's press organization. Special thanks to you, Dr. Garland, for arranging this.

Now that we see very clearly and unambiguously that vitamin D does have a role in reducing the risk of cancer, how can we DO

something? What actions can we take NOW? (As many of you know, that's frequently my question!) We need to spread the word faster!

Drum roll please...

we have created a new program...

for you, for your friends for all participants to thank you for sharing your information to help us advance the
vitamin D health message!

Sponsors can be any business or group (or individual) that wants a special way to connect with you and to support moving research into practice

To date, the almost exclusive sponsors for vitamin D tests have been from individuals. We're ready to add to this. MANY local organizations, are very interested in helping to prevent cancer...to get the word out about the benefits of vitamin D...now. And, based on the work that's been done by Dr. Garland et al., it is quite possible that there is an opportunity window for people to hear and act on this message.

We are inviting sponsors to step in and provide a major reward to you, the participant, in the form of a coupon for future products from their outlet! The minimum offer for you is $20, some businesses will offer more. It provides D*action activists with a significant discount and the sponsor will gain a loyal customer.

Do you own a small or large business? Participate in some organization? Know someone who does? We have a very simple program to offer all such operations.

What is a sponsor?

A sponsor will use our new D*action Sponsorship to offer coupons for redemption in their stores. This is a benefit to the participant and a new way for the sponsor to build their customer base.

The business will pay an upfront fee for 6 months of web placement and create a custom offer for participants, worth at least $20.

Participants will choose the business they wish to buy their vitamin D test through, because they frequent that business or value their offer. They will pay for the vitamin D test kit ($65 + shipping) through GrassrootsHealth, but after they complete their test and get their results, they will receive the offer they chose via email.

Each business will be highlighted on a sponsor page on www.GrassrootsHealth.net. This increases visibility of the sponsor, while also supporting a worthy cause of getting the word out about vitamin D.

The participant gets a reward for their participation - which includes their time and their blood sample. They receive their vitamin D level and a coupon for the sponsor's store.

Click here to learn more about D*action Sponsorhips.

What can you do?

Encourage stores, groups or businesses that you you have a personal relationship with to become a D*action sponsor!

We can DEFINITELY help reduce the incidence of cancer NOW! We look forward to further outreach activities to communities. Please let us know how we can help you spread the word about this simple step to help the world greatly reduce the risk of all cancers.

Needless to say, a participant can choose to continue to subscribe without the sponsorship option. And, it should be noted that with or without sponsorship, the personal data collected in the questionnaire is maintained in the GrassrootsHealth research database safely and is not shared with any of our sponsors.

Onwards!

Carole Baggerly

Director, GrassrootsHealth

A Public Health Promotion & Research Organization

Moving Research into Practice NOW!

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations ≥40 ng/ml Are Associated with >65% Lower Cancer Risk: Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trial and Prospective Cohort Study

Interview from MedicalResearch.com, April 15, 2016

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

SLM: Higher vitamin D levels in the blood have been associated with a lower risk of multiple cancer types including colorectal and breast. Using data from two study cohorts of women aged 55 years and older (N=2,304), we investigated the association between serum 25(OH)D concentration, the marker of vitamin D in the blood, and risk of all non-skin cancers combined across a broad range of 25(OH)D concentrations. We found that women with 25(OH)D concentrations ≥40 ng/ml had a 67% lower risk of cancer compared to women with concentrations <20 ng/ml. We also found that the greatest decrease in risk occurred between about 10-40 ng/ml. These findings suggest that increasing 25(OH)D concentrations to a minimum of 40 ng/ml could substantially reduce cancer incidence and associated mortality in the population.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

SLM: Clinicians should be aware that vitamin D levels well above the 20 ng/ml level recommended by the IOM for bone health are needed to reduce the risk of cancer. It is important to measure their patient's vitamin D levels and encourage patients to achieve a level between 40 and 60 ng/ml for the prevention of cancer.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

SLM: Future studies should base their study design on nutrient physiology, taking into account the sigmoidal nature of nutrient response by assessing participants whose basal status was deficient (<20 ng/ml) and using a vitamin D dose sufficient to raise 25(OH)D concentrations to above the response range (about 40 ng/ml).

Medical Research: Is there anything else you would like to add?

SLM: Patients can also discover for themselves how much vitamin D is in their blood through organizations like GrassrootsHealth and take control of their nutritional health by choosing to increase their levels through supplements and/or modest sun exposure.

View Interview

Editor's Letter

Susan Siljander

Marketing Director, GrassrootsHealth

This week we are asking you to give - if you are a business, your money and a little time - to help others contribute their time to the D*action research project. Help expand the numbers of people who test and raise their blood levels up to at least 40 ng/ml - hopefully reducing cancer incidence in the future. The reward to you can be a new customer!

If you don't own a business: Can you give your time? Can you go to your favorite business and ask if they would become a D*action sponsor?

I found this image very appropriate. What if you could help prevent cancer - for your children? for your friends? for your neighbors?

Let's do it!

Susan Siljander

Marketing Director, GrassrootsHealth

A Public Health Promotion & Research Organization

Moving Research Into Practice NOW!

Order Now

Order Your Home Vitamin D Test TODAY!

Your participation in this project provides information for your answers to D questions and helps fund the GrassrootsHealth projects.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations ≥40 ng/ml are Associated with >65% Lower Cancer Risk: Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trial and Prospective Cohort Study

Sharon L. McDonnell, MPH et al.

GrassrootsHealth

PLOS One