I had an appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday, and the one thing of note, besides the fact my numbers were essentially unchanged, was she made mention of the benefits discovered in cancer progression by increasing Vitamin D levels.
She researched other patients of hers, and discovered they were essentially all Vitamin D deficient, and recommended taking a Vitamin D supplement (1000 IU per day).
Considering the constant reinforcement [hype] by the dermatology lobby, and sun screen manufacturers, of the hazards of extended exposure to sunlight, the major source of Vitamin D, and me being the uber cynicist I am, I find that fact very believable.
She also knows I'm not much into taking supplements, plus I do get a lot of unprotected sun exposure when I ride my bike, but she put it out there for me to at least investigate.
So I did some research on the subject, and came across this very interesting article on the benefits of Vitamin D, performed at the Mayo Clinic, in newly diagnosed Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) patients.
Of course it was only one study, a relatively small sample, and it wasn't even performed on Mantle Cell Lymphoma patients, so how much benefit it will be to me or others is still open to question. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm Vitamin D deficient (that will be checked next month), but none the less, the data is compelling, and IMO worth further consideration, if not for me, then at least others.
So even if you don't like taking supplements [like myself], at least have your Vitamin D levels checked, and consider spending more time outside exposed to the sun, without using any sun block. If nothing else, at least it will get you out of the house, and doing something a little more beneficial than simply sitting around the house reading some blog. :)
Who knows, they may even discover it's just one more benefit to exercising outside, beyond the obvious.
She researched other patients of hers, and discovered they were essentially all Vitamin D deficient, and recommended taking a Vitamin D supplement (1000 IU per day).
Considering the constant reinforcement [hype] by the dermatology lobby, and sun screen manufacturers, of the hazards of extended exposure to sunlight, the major source of Vitamin D, and me being the uber cynicist I am, I find that fact very believable.
She also knows I'm not much into taking supplements, plus I do get a lot of unprotected sun exposure when I ride my bike, but she put it out there for me to at least investigate.
So I did some research on the subject, and came across this very interesting article on the benefits of Vitamin D, performed at the Mayo Clinic, in newly diagnosed Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) patients.
Of course it was only one study, a relatively small sample, and it wasn't even performed on Mantle Cell Lymphoma patients, so how much benefit it will be to me or others is still open to question. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm Vitamin D deficient (that will be checked next month), but none the less, the data is compelling, and IMO worth further consideration, if not for me, then at least others.
So even if you don't like taking supplements [like myself], at least have your Vitamin D levels checked, and consider spending more time outside exposed to the sun, without using any sun block. If nothing else, at least it will get you out of the house, and doing something a little more beneficial than simply sitting around the house reading some blog. :)
Who knows, they may even discover it's just one more benefit to exercising outside, beyond the obvious.
Comments
I take 2000 units/day. The only downside is possible hypercalcemia. A serum Calcium is a lot cheaper than a serum Vit D level.
And are you taking Vitamin D or D3, and is there a difference? I have only seen D3 available.
My in-laws were told the same thing. Is there some new test or something?
You'd be better off spending more time in the sun.
The skin produces approximately 10,000 IU vitamin D in response [to] 20–30 minutes [of] summer sun exposure—50 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day!