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# Vitamin D may have an effect on prostate cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_prostate_cancer_081220090910/
- Published: 2009-12-08T21:09:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:02:34.000Z
- Description: Researchers compared 122 prostate cancer patients with 130 matched controls in southern China and found one vitamin D receptor variant, BsmI, tracked with prostate cancer risk. They conclude such polymorphisms may be potential risk factors.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Nutrition, Prostate Cancer, Vitamin D, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

A new study published in the Dec 4, 2009 issue of BMC Medical Genetics suggests that vitamin D may be involved in the development of prostate cancer.

Early epidemiological studies have associated prostate cancer risk with gene polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor or VDR, but not all studies are consistent.

In the study, Bai Yongheng and colleagues tested blood samples from 122 prostate cancer patients and 130 age-matched control subjects in a population of Southern China for different vitamin D receptor polymorphisms.

Of those examined including FokI (exon 2), BsmI, Tru9I, ApaI (intron 9), and TaqI (exon 9), BsmI was associated with prostate cancer risk.

The researchers found "the BsmI 'B' allele was associated with an almost 1/3-fold risk of the occurrence of prostate cancer, a 1/5-fold risk of poorly differentiated prostate cancer, and a 1/10-fold risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared with the 'b' allele, especially among older men (>71 years )."

They concluded genetic polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene may be potential risk factors for prostate cancer.

The finding may also suggest that vitamin D may have an effect on the risk of prostate cancer.

In the United States, about 200,00 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and more than 20,000 die annually, according to the National cancer Institute.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with about 17 different types of cancers including prostate cancer.