Tropic of Cancer

[Guest guest]

Dear Reader,

 

" A closer study of the action of solar radiation on the body might

well reveal the nature of cancer immunity. "

 

That quote - from Dr. Frank Apperly - comes from a 1941 study in

which Dr. Apperly analyzed North American cancer statistics and

found that people who live nearer the equator generally have lower

risk of developing various cancers, including breast, lung,

prostate, and colon cancers.

 

Over the 65 years since Dr. Apperly's groundbreaking research, a

closer study of the action of solar radiation on the body has

revealed that the mechanism by which human skin converts sunlight

into vitamin D is, literally, a life saver. And this is illustrated,

once again, in a new breast cancer study from the Imperial College

of London (ICL).

 

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Testing the levels

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Previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is linked to

greater risk of breast cancer. The ICL study was designed to clarify

the relationship between vitamin D levels and the progression of

breast cancer from early to advanced stages.

 

STUDY ABSTRACT

Blood samples were taken from 204 women with early stage malignancy,

nearly 280 women with invasive breast cancer, and 75 women with

advanced breast cancer

In patients with early stage breast cancer, vitamin D levels were

significantly higher compared to both of the other groups

In patients with early stage breast cancer, levels of parathyroid

hormone (PTH) were significantly lower compared to both of the other

groups (PTH is typically overproduced when breast cancer is

metastasized to bone)

Lead author of the study, Dr. Carlo Palmieri, told NutraIngredients-

USA that researchers need to examine the implications of monitoring

vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients and the importance of

maintaining high levels of the vitamin.

 

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D is for daylight

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The ICL study raises a question: Do higher vitamin D levels prevent

the progression of breast cancer, or does the cancer somehow lower

blood levels of the vitamin?

 

Beyond the fact that Dr. Apperly demonstrated many decades ago that

high levels of the vitamin are linked to lower breast cancer risk,

we also have two previous studies that support the preventive effect

of vitamin D on this cancer.

 

In the first study, more than a thousand healthy women and about 560

women with breast cancer completed dietary and lifestyle interviews

with researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Analysis of the

data showed that women who had the highest vitamin D intake (through

extended sunlight exposure, or intake of cod liver oil or milk)

between the ages of 10 and 29 had a 40 percent reduced risk of

developing breast cancer later in life compared to women with the

lowest D intake. Researchers believe that high vitamin D levels

during the years when breast tissue is in rapid development may help

protect the breasts from cancer.

 

In the second study, researchers at the University of California,

San Diego, tested blood samples in more than 1,750 women. Subjects

who had blood levels of 52 nanograms per milliliter of D had a 50

percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer compared to women

with low D levels. The UCSD team noted that in order to reach 52

ng/mL requires a vitamin D intake of about 1,000 IU daily - a level

that is difficult to reach without daily sun exposure.

 

The best dietary sources of vitamin D are eggs, liver, fish liver

oils, and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna. Fish

oil supplements are a good source of vitamin D, but talk to your

doctor before adding these supplements to your regimen.

 

 

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....and another thing

 

With so many scandals dominating the evening news these days, you

might have missed this little tidbit: Last week, former FDA

Commissioner Lester Crawford pleaded guilty to a violation of

conflict-of-interest laws.

 

It seems that during his tenure at the FDA, Dr. Crawford and his

wife owned stock in three companies: PepsiCo, Sysco (a food

distributor), and Kimberly-Clark (manufacturer of medical devices).

The FDA regulates at least some of the activities of each of these

companies.

 

But wait. It gets worse.

 

According to a Reuters report, ethics officials at the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) informed Dr. Crawford that he had to

sell his shares in the three companies. In 2004, when an HHS

official inquired about the shares, Dr. Crawford said he had sold

them. Whoops. Wrong answer!

 

So in addition to pleading guilty to violating conflict-of-interest

laws, Dr. Crawford also plead guilty to making false statements in

financial disclosure forms. On these two charges he could be

sentenced to two years in prison and $200,000 in fines. But the

Reuters report notes that he's made some sort of plea bargain with

prosecutors, so I doubt we'll see him out with a road crew, breaking

rocks in the hot sun.

 

After entering his pleas last week, Dr. Crawford told

reporters, " Nothing I have done, I hope, can be construed to affect

the integrity of the Food and Drug Administration. "

 

Don't worry, Dr. Crawford. You can be sure that FDA officials will

continue to find all sorts of ways to compromise the agency's

integrity without your help.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

 

 

Sources:

" Serum 25 Hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Early and Advanced Breast

Cancer " Journal of Clinical Pathology, Published Online 10/17/06,

jcp.bmjjournals.com

" Vitamin D Levels Linked to Breast Cancer Progression " Stephen

Daniells, NutraIngredients-USA, 10/17/06, nutraingredients-usa.com

" Ex-US FDA Chief Pleads Guilty Over Stock Holdings " Lisa Richwine,

Reuters, 10/17/06, today.reuters.com