Researchers, in a recent study, have found that making sure you keep your weight to normal levels and consuming appropriate levels of vitamin D, reduces your cancer risk.
The findings resulted from further analysis work undertaken on data gleaned in trials that were undertaken between 2013 and 2018. The original trial was conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts and published in JAMA Network Open.
Whilst the initial findings showed that there was a reduced risk of death from cancer from taking vitamin D, it did not suggest that there was a reduced incidence of contracting it.
However, revisiting the findings, the new study finds that those with normal a BMI and who also take vitamin D show a material risk reduction and provides invaluable information regarding the linkage between vitamin D and advanced cancers. 25 thousand people contributed to the study.
During this secondary examination the research group found that the incidence of people with a normal BMI and who took the supplement were 40% lower than those who took the placebo.
The hypothesis is that the obesity may interfere in some way with the effectiveness of vitamin D.
Whilst during summer months we obtain enough vitamin D from sunlight, this time of year in the UK it is not possible to rely on natural daylight. Diet can help and nutritionists advise eating foods like oily fish, eggs, milk and mushrooms. Supplements are also readily available and cheap.
Public Health England recommends that in the UK we consider taking a supplement of 10 micrograms during the winter months, as the dark nights set in. see the link [**here**](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-new-advice-on-vitamin-d)