Exposure to sunlight may guard you against colon cancer

Higher than recommended amounts of the Vitamin D might offer protection against colorectal cancer.

The sun you get when you go for morning walks or while commuting could protect you against colon cancer, new research shows. Long known for its role in keeping bones strong — vitamin D also may be important in preventing colon cancer.

New research from the American Cancer Society and other public health groups revealed that people with higher than recommended levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer. The finding was particularly significant for women. People with a vitamin D deficiency may have an increased risk for the disease. The new research project includes data on more than 12,800 people in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

The importance of vitamin D

Vitamin D has long been known to be helpful for strong bones health. Participants in the study were considered to have enough levels of vitamin D in their blood if they met the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) suggested levels of circulating vitamin D.

The study found that people with vitamin D levels below the recommended levels had a 31% higher risk of colorectal cancer during the length of time they were followed. That was for an average of 5 ½ years (the full range was 1-25 years). The lowest levels of colorectal cancer risk were found in people who had vitamin D levels even higher than recommended. However, the risk did not continue to decrease for the very highest levels of vitamin D the study looked at.

Include naturally vitamin-D-rich foods in your diet. These include fatty fish such as salmon, trout, sword fish, and tuna. Eggs and mushrooms also contain small amounts of vitamin D

How to get vitamin D

People can get vitamin D from exposure to sun, their diet and from supplements. However, staying out in the sun without protection exposes people to harmful UV rays, which is a strong risk factor for skin cancer. And getting too much vitamin D, for example, from taking very high doses of supplements, can be harmful. Doctors offer these tips:

• Include naturally vitamin-D-rich foods in your diet. These include fatty fish such as salmon, trout, sword fish, and tuna. Eggs and mushrooms also contain small amounts of vitamin D.
• Milk, including soy and almond milk, is fortified with Vitamin D. Some other dairy products, orange juice, and cereal also can have vitamin D added.
• People aged 1 to 70 should get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 600 IU.
• Children younger than age 1 should get 400 IU and adults older than age 70 should get 800 IU.
• If you take a calcium supplement, you may already be getting added vitamin D. Many calcium supplements contain vitamin D.

The study does not suggest that high dose supplements are needed and does not suggest that most people need to have their vitamin D levels checked. However, if you are concerned about your levels of vitamin D, check with your doctor.