> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Vitamin D prevents colorectal cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_prevents_colorectal_cancer_0318150349/
- Published: 2015-03-18T16:48:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:16:20.000Z
- Description: Comparing 318 colon and rectal cancer cases with 624 matched controls from two US cohorts, researchers found high serum 25(OH)D correlated with a 90% lower risk of tumors showing a strong immune reaction, but no lower risk of tumors with weaker reaction.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Wednesday March 18, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in a medical journal called Gut suggests taking vitamin D3 supplements may help reduce the risk of the type of colorectal cancer that causes more intense lymphocytic reaction or immune response.

Prior evidence suggests vitamin D is protective again colorectal cancer via increasing antitumor immunity. Immune cells in tumors can convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D to 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which has an impact on neoplastic and immune cells.

The new study found high 25(OH)D correlated with 90% lower risk of tumor with high-levels of immune response, compared with low 25(OH)D. However, vitamin D was not found to influence the risk of tumor with lower levels of reaction.

For the study, researchers compared the serum vitamin D concentrations in 318 rectal and colon cancer cases with 624 matched controls who were enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

The study suggests vitamin D is protective against colorectal cancer through the cancer-host immune reactions.

The study was conducted by Dr Shuji Ogino, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA and colleagues.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with more than 100 health conditions including 17 types of cancers, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, depression, and autism among others.

The best prevention against colorectal cancer may come from high intake of fiber and low intake of meat, particularly, (processed) red meat. Americans do not get enough dietary fiber and fiber supplements are available as dietary supplements. One should have 30 to 35 grams of fiber per day. (David Liu, PHD)

[Mingyang Song, Reiko Nishihara, Molin Wang, Andrew T Chan, Zhi Rong Qian, Kentaro Inamura, Xuehong Zhang, Kimmie Ng, Sun A Kim, Kosuke Mima, Yasutaka Sukawa, Katsuhiko Nosho, Charles S Fuchs, Edward L Giovannucci, Kana Wu, Shuji Ogino, Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and colorectal cancer risk according to tumour immunity status, Gut doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2014-308852](http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2015/01/13/gutjnl-2014-308852.short?ref=foodconsumer.org)