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What Do Scientists Know About Vitamin D and Cancer?

Scientists have been exploring the link between vitamin D and cancer. But what does the research say? Learn if vitamin D supplements can prevent or reduce the stages of advanced cancer.

Credit: FotoHelin/Shutterstock

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We know vitamin D is good for us — it helps keep our bones strong and supports our immune system. However, some 50 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough of the sunshine vitamin.

Those living in colder climates can’t get their daily sun dosage from November through April because of the sun’s angle and strength and are often bundled up against the cold so much that the little bit of skin that is exposed is too small to absorb daily requirements.

Perhaps surprisingly, in regions where it’s easier to get year-round sun exposure, fewer people get breast cancer than in colder regions, according to a review of multiple studies in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2020.

Because of these regional differences, scientists have looked at the link between vitamin D and breast cancer for years. While there have been reports that suggested vitamin D could prevent breast cancer, the ...

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