According to an article in the Harvard Gazette, researchers at the school have finished a study showing that men in the US have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, and that the vitamin reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The researchers are actually recommending that men get more sun, take a vitamin D supplement, and eat more seafood especially in the winter, when vitamin D levels in the blood are lowest.

The research studied almost 15,000 physicians for 18 years, and found that 1,066 developed prostate cancer, and 596 had suffered a deadly form of it. In these patients, they measured their vitamin D levels, as well as analyzed the status of a gene involved in taking vitamin D into the body.

Researchers found that those men with the lowest vitamin D levels combined with a variation of the gene were at highest risk for developing prostate cancer.

The gene variation is most common in men of european descent, and it appears that the combination of lack of sunlight (especially in the north in the winter) and not eating dairy or seafood lower the vitamin D levels to a point where they are susceptible.

Analysis:
Without a doubt, more analysis will be performed on the effects of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and prostate cancer.

Until that point, one may consider the recommendations of the researchers and get more sun, and take a vitamin D supplement to improve vitamin D levels.

The researchers recommendation: "Improving vitamin D status through moderate sun exposure and vitamin D supplements is essential for optimal health..." They point out that the vitamin is a requirement for strong bones, so irrespective of its effect on prostate cancer, the supplements can improve overall well-being.

See Also: Vitamin D and Sunlight May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk.

_{Source: Cromie, W.H. (March 2007)Vitamin D may protect against prostate cancer. Harvard Gazette. (online edition).}