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Last Updated: Oct 6, 2008 - 12:00:27 PM |
SUNDAY JAN 27, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Vitamin D insufficiency among African-Americans in the southeastern United States may be responsible for the cancer disparities between blacks and whites, according to a new study published in the Jan 25, 2008 issue of Cancer Causes Control.
Studies found there are disparities in incidence and mortality of cancer between African-Americans and Caucasians and news media has attributed the disparities to the poor healthcare or treatments blacks receive.
The new study led by Egan KM at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, IN and colleagues showed hypovitaminosis D prevalence was 45 percent among blacks compared to 11 percent among whites.
In the study, hypovitaminosis D was defined as serum 25(OH)D levels </=15 ng/ml.
For the study, the researchers analyzed serum 25(OH)D levels using baseline blood samples from 395 Southern Community Cohort Study participants age 40 to 79 between 2002 and 2004.
They found dietary intake and taking supplements of vitamin D increased circulating 25(OH)D at a rate of 0.5-0.7 ng per ml per 100 International Units increment. But among blacks with their daily intake of 400 IU per day or higher, 32 percent of them experienced hypovitaminosis D.
Hypovitaminosis D was more common among obese blacks with BMI >/= 30 kg/m(2) than those with MBI in the range between 18 and 24.9 kg/m(2). UV ray exposure estimated by residential location was also associated with 25(OH)D levels among all groups exception white women.
Blacks are better off taking vitamin D supplements to increase their serum levels of vitamin D as their skin color makes it less effective to synthesize vitamin D triggered by exposure to sunshine.
For most people, exposure of the hands and face to strong sunshine for 15 to 20 minutes a day will enable production of enough vitamin D for all bodily functions. Vitamin D is found only in a small number of foods, most notably in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel.
An early study found daily intake of more than 1500 IU vitamin D may cut breast cancer risk by 70 percent among others.
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