Wednesday June 4, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- It has been well established that vitamin D in high doses may be used as a preventative against a variety of cancer.  A new study in Journal of Dietary Supplements suggests that vitamin D can also prevent oral cancer.

The study shows that in vitro cancer growth can be inhibited by up to 44% at the dose of 100 nmol.  The efficacy varies by cancer cell lines and the concentration of vitamin D.

In the study, 1, 25-dihydroxy Vitamin D3 was tested at physiological and supraphysiological concentrations in three CAL27, SCC15, and SCC25 oral cancer cell lines.

At 50 nmol of vitamin D, the maximum inhibition was found in oral cancer cell line SCC15, which was 6.8% and at 100 nmol, vitamin D inhibited CAL27 and SCC25 by 19.7% and 43.6%, respectively.

The growth inhibition was coupled with significantly decreased viability, 18% 23% and 47% decreased in SCC15, CAL27 and SCC25 oral cancer cells, respectively.   With vitamin D present, two key apoptotic pathways caspase and bcl:bax were activated.

The study strongly indicates that high concentrations of serum vitamin D can effectively prevent or even treat oral cancer.  Although the current study is no trial, and the efficacy of vitamin D in treating oral cancer remains unknown, it seems likely that oral cancer patients may be better off taking vitamin D supplements to maintain a high level.  

Studies including the current one hint that only at high concentrations does vitamin D show a preventative or therapeutical effect against cancer.

In previous studies, vitamin D has been found protective against breast cancer, melanoma, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, nutiple yeloma, cervical cancer, oraian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and renal cancer.  (David Liu, PHD)

Reference

Osafi J, Hejazi A, Stutz DD, Keiserman MA, Bergman CJ, Kingsley K.  Differential effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D? on oral squamous cell carcinomas in vitro.   Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2014 Jun;11(2):145-54.