A study performed at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto has suggested that vitamin D exposure, particularly during adolescence, may be an excellent way to lower your risk for breast cancer. Researcher Dr. Julia A. Knight commented at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, “ We found that factors related to vitamin D exposure—including sun exposure and dietary sources (cod liver oil, fortified milk, some types of fish)—are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. In particular, we see this for exposures occurring during adolescence.”

The study consisted of 1135 healthy women and 576 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The women were all between the ages of 20 and 59. Researchers examined factors such as sunlight exposure during youth, milk consumption and cod liver oil consumption to determine the relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer. The results were as follows:

• Women who had consumed cod liver for 10 years or more had a lower incidence of breast cancer
• Women who regularly drank nine glasses of milk per week between the ages of 20 and 29 showed a lower incidence of breast cancer in comparison to those women who drank less than five glasses of milk
  
• Women who had greater amounts of sun exposure between the ages of 10 and 19, from sports activities or an outdoor job, had a lower incidence of breast cancer than those who had not

In conclusion, Dr. Knight commented on the research, “Evidence is growing that vitamin D might help reduce the risk of breast cancer and, what we see is consistent with the idea that what occurs during breast development in adolescence may influence future breast cancer risk.”

To learn more about breast cancer, you may wish to speak with a board certified physician.