Scientist Ben Schöttker from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg evaluated studies on the influence of vitamin D on cancer. © Tom Schulte / www.tomschultefoto
Those who take vitamin D daily have a better chance of survival in the event of cancer. The mortality risk is reduced by twelve percent.
In Germany, about one in seven people has a pronounced vitamin D deficiency, or more precisely, about 15 percent of adults are affected. In cancer patients, vitamin D blood levels are particularly often below the threshold value. In a study, scientists found that 59 percent of the colorectal cancer patients examined had too little vitamin D in their blood. These patients also had an unfavorable prognosis.
Research flagship in the fight against cancer: AT the DKFZ, more than 3000 experts are working on better diagnostics and modern therapies. Here, MRI images of prostate cancer are currently being analyzed. © Uwe Anspach
Cancer researcher Ben Schöttker: Vitamin D probably does not protect against cancer, but reduces mortality
Conversely, a daily intake of vitamin D increases the chance of survival in the event of cancer - from a purely statistical point of view. This was the result of an evaluation of 14 studies of the highest quality carried out by scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) based in Heidelberg. Data from almost 105,000 study participants were included. The spectacular result: "Vitamin D probably does not protect against developing cancer. But from a purely statistical point of view, the probability of dying from it drops by twelve percent," reports epidemiologist Ben Schöttker in an interview with our editorial team.
Germany's research flagship in the fight against cancer
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) employs more than 3000 people, making it Germany's largest biomedical research institution. The experts work closely with cancer specialists in university hospitals and other research institutions. Among other things, they are developing new methods that can be used to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ is 90 percent funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and ten percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
Study analysis: Daily vitamin D intake is crucial
During the study analysis of the DKFZ scientists, it also became clear that the daily intake in low doses between 400 and 4000 international units was decisive for the better chances of survival. "Most studies used the dosages of between 800 and 2000 international units of vitamin D3 per day, which are still common in practice today," explains Schöttker. On the other hand, mortality did not decrease with rarely administered high single doses - in these study groups, participants had received between 60,000 and 120,000 international units of vitamin D3 once a month or less frequently. To explain: International unit (abbreviation i. E.) is a unit of measurement for the effect of a medical substance. It is used for some vitamins, but is also used for certain hormones, vaccines and antibiotics.
Vitamin D reactions in the body can probably inhibit tumor growth
Why daily vitamin D intake reduces mortality from cancer needs to be researched in more detail. Scientists like Schöttker see a connection with reactions of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D produces a hormone with the scientific name 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. "It can presumably inhibit tumor growth," says Schöttker.
Have your vitamin D levels checked over the age of 50
Against this background, DKFZ scientist Schöttker thinks it makes sense for people over 50 in particular to have their vitamin D level in their blood checked by their family doctor and to compensate for a possible deficiency. The big problem with this is that a vitamin D deficiency does not cause any clearly identifiable symptoms. This is one of the reasons why many people do not even know about their low vitamin D levels in their blood.
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People over the age of 70 in particular benefit from vitamin D intake
"Before the age of 50, the risk of developing cancer is still comparatively low, which is why the positive effect of vitamin D intake is more likely to be expected for the older age group," says Schöttker. The DKFZ study showed that study participants over the age of 70 in particular benefited from vitamin D intake.
More than half of adults do not have optimal vitamin D levels
Studies from Germany have shown that just over half of adults are at least slightly below the threshold for optimal vitamin D levels in their blood. Because vitamin D levels depend primarily on direct sunlight on the skin, even more people are affected in winter than in summer. "As a rule, the body produces 80 to 90 percent of the vitamin itself in the skin - with the help of sunlight, or more precisely UVB radiation," explain experts from the Robert Koch Institute. "With an estimated proportion of about 10% to 20%, nutrition contributes only a relatively small proportion to the vitamin D supply."