Study shows low vitamin D levels linked to increased risk of bladder cancer

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: vitamin D, cancer prevention, endocrine system

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(NaturalNews) Most of our health problems stem from simple deficiencies that go undetected, and the consensus of five studies is that bladder cancer is linked to low vitamin D levels. One of the basic necessities of life, sunlight, is key to the production of vitamin D within the skin. When vitamin D is produced, it is converted into an important hormone called calcitriol, which is vital for activating human immunity at the cellular level.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes to bladder cancer

Researchers from the University of Warwick, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire Coventry came together and reviewed seven comprehensive studies that investigated the causes of bladder cancer. Five of the studies, encompassing thousands of participants, pointed to one conclusion: Low vitamin D levels increase one's risk of bladder cancer.

The researchers went further and tested a specific kind of cell that lines the bladder: transitional epithelial cells. The researchers found that these cells respond to vitamin D and activate an immune response. Vitamin D helps these transitional epithelial cells identify abnormal cells before they develop into cancer. This literally means that everyone alive today is a cancer survivor and the fight is taking place on a daily basis. When a person is low in vitamin D, they stifle their body's ability to detect cancer cells.

Vitamin D also controls phosphate and calcium levels in the body. A person deficient in vitamin D may be depressed and cognitively impaired. Vitamin D deficiency also leads to cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions and allows cancerous cells to take hold. One in five UK adults are deficient in vitamin D, and three in five regularly test low in this vital area. Vitamin D is best produced from sunlight, but can also be obtained through foods such as cod liver oil and mushrooms, or through lab verified supplements.

Children suffering from chronic kidney disease almost always have low vitamin D levels. Anke Doyon, MD, and Franz Schaefer, MD, from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, found that two thirds of children with chronic kidney disease are severely vitamin D deficient. A kidney abnormality called glomerulopathies was associated with the lowest vitamin D levels. The researchers confirmed that vitamin D levels are worse in the winter.

You are not genetically predestined for cancer

If a relative has bladder cancer, we are told that we will get it too because of genetic predisposition. This short-sighted correlation defies all logic, ignores the burden of every toxic substance that passes through the bladder, and doesn't consider the lifestyle factors that either strengthen or weaken the individual's own immune system over time.

Organs of the human body are not genetically predestined to shrivel up, shut down and be overrun with cancer. An organ such as the bladder is exposed to countless substances throughout a person's life. Epi-genetic factors such as vitamin D production play a vital role in bladder cancer prevention. Environmental toxicity that leads to endocrine system disruption may also play a role in how hormones are used in the body. Optimizing vitamin D could be the key to helping all cancer patients.

When it comes to cancer, we have learned to fear our own DNA and accept that we will inherit our family's health problems. By believing in this curse, we ignore the most important factors that affect our immune system on a daily basis. Vitamin D is the key to the immune system, for maintaining strong, well-defended organs and cells. Sunlight is nature's ultimate vaccine, providing immunity from many health issues.

Sources include:

MedicalXpress.com

VitaminDCouncil.org

MedicalXpress.com