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# Vitamin D may help fight prostate cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_may_help_fight_prostate_cancer_1124160129/
- Published: 2016-11-24T14:28:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T14:42:07.000Z
- Description: Among 1,000 prostate cancer patients followed for 23 years, those with higher circulating vitamin D at diagnosis were 28 percent less likely to die of the disease, an observational study found. Whether vitamin D prevents prostate cancer remains unclear.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Thursday Nov 24, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking a vitamin D supplement, the sunshine vitamin in high doses frequently may help patients with prostate cancer survive, according to an observational study released in 2016 in the journal *Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention*.

The current study shows that patients with prostate cancer who had high circulating vitamin D at diagnosis tended to live longer or had a longer survival, compared to those with lower levels of vitamin D.

The study was based on data from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study which monitored prediagnostic serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) in 1000 patients with prostate cancer who were followed up for 23 years.

Exactly, patients with higher circulating 25(OH)D were found 28% less likely to die from prostate cancer, compared to those with lower serum levels of vitamin D. 

It remains unclear whether or not high serum levels of vitamin D helps prevent prostate cancer. Some studies linked high circulating vitamin D to high risk of developing prostate cancer while vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency was linked to high risk of many types of cancers. Vitamin D does provide many health benefits including bone health and prevention against many cancers and infections.

Prostate cancer in many cases are non-aggressive and easy to treat. Many patients achieve a long-term survival. Vitamin D in doses of up to 10,000 IU per day for adults is considered safe by many vitamin D researchers. It does not cause any side effects when it is used in a proper dosage. But there is an optimal dose for the cancer prevention and treatment.

Vitamin D sources are limited and there are not many foods that provide much vitamin D. Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D, that is, when a person is exposed to sunlight, he biosynthesizes the vitamin. (David Liu)

[Alison M. Mondul, Stephanie J. Weinstein, Kristin A. Moy, Satu Männistö and Demetrius Albanes, Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Prostate Cancer Survival, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, April 2016, Volume 25, Issue 4](http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/25/4/665.short?ref=foodconsumer.org)