Vitamin D and Breast Cancer

What should all breast cancer thrivers know about Vitamin D? It is important for several reasons that I want to share with you.

 First, how common is vitamin D deficiency among women with breast cancer? Several studies have shown rates of at least 30%. One study that looked at breast cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy found that 74% of them were deficient! A study of women on aromatase inhibitors found that 35% of the women were vitamin D deficient and of those women, 58% were taking a vitamin D supplement. This is a very common problem and can have serious consequences for breast cancer thrives.

 There have been several studies that have looked at vitamin D levels at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. Compared to women with the lowest levels of vitamin D, the women with the highest levels had decreased rates of recurrence and overall survival. 

 Vitamin D is also critically important for maintaining bone density. Bone loss is a major concern for women taking aromatase inhibitors and is also more common as women age. There was a study that evaluated vitamin D and calcium supplementation and found that it helped to protect against bone loss in women taking aromatase inhibitors.

 Women with breast cancer are also at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

 Vitamin D is also important for our immune health. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the rate of autoimmune disease. In the VITAL study, adults that took 2000 IU of vitamin D and 1000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil were 22% less likely to develop an autoimmune disease. In the case of it improving immune function, people with a deficiency were 14 times more likely to have a severe or critical case of COVID-19.

If you don't have a recent blood test with your vitamin D level, discuss starting a 2000 IU vitamin D3 supplement with your treatment team. I recommend supplementing to reach an optimal level between 50-60 ng/mL. 

 In summary:

• vitamin D is critical for health
• deficiencies are common
• the only way to know you are taking adequate supplementation is to check your level

P.S. Is this the kind of information you find helpful? If so, you would love my comprehensive survivorship course. These are the types of topics I cover and give you even more details like how to choose a good quality vitamin D supplement and the correct way to take it. It is an 8-week program with online lessons, lots of printable resources, and weekly live question and answer sessions with me. If you want to learn more, please sign up for my waitlist, click here. You will be notified about course enrollment dates and eligible to receive an exclusive bonus.