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The health benefits of vitamin D greatly outweigh the health risks
Author(s) -
Grant William B.,
Garland Cedric F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.20753
Subject(s) - library science , citation , gerontology , medicine , center (category theory) , family medicine , computer science , chemistry , crystallography
Starting in the 1980s, largely observational evidence mounted that solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiance and vitamin D reduce the risk of many types of cancer. Based on observational studies, it is estimated that 1500 and 3600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D3 are required daily for a 50% reduction in risk of colorectal and breast cancer, respectively. A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that studied post-menopausal women in Nebraska found a 77% reduction in all-cancer incidence between the ends of the first and fourth years, adding strong support to the observational studies.