There is a clear link between lower levels of vitamin D and cancer, according to research from Aalborg University in Denmark. Researchers are calling the findings a “breakthrough”.
Low levels of vitamin D have previously been linked to mental illness, heart problems and even cancer. Studies have also shown that it can help with several respiratory infections, such as covid-19. A US study found that the risk of dying from covid-19 was 33% lower in those who took vitamin D supplements.
The new Danish study, published in the journal Science, analyzed data from both mice and the Danish population. In mice, those with higher levels of vitamin D had a lower risk of developing tumors.
– When the mice have higher levels of vitamin D in their blood, they have less tumor development and they also respond better to cancer immunotherapy, researcher and lead author Tine Jess told Danish TV2.
Health data from 1.5 million Danes
Previous research has shown a link between vitamin D levels and cancer, but now it has been found that the effect works via the intestinal flora, where the vitamin affects the intestinal mucosa and increases the amount of the bacterium Bacteroides fragilis. This makes the mice more resistant to cancer because the tumors do not grow as much.
– The breakthrough is that the effect goes through the gut flora and then through the immune system and affects the risk of cancer. The immune system part we already knew. The fact that it goes through the bacterial composition of the gut is new, says Jess.
The results from the mice were also compared with health data from more than 1.5 million Danish citizens. Based on this analysis, the researchers were able to conclude that the results could be extrapolated to humans.
– Our analysis shows that there is an association between lower vitamin D levels and a higher risk of developing cancer, including colorectal, lung and urinary tract cancers, says the researcher.
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