Why you should take vit D if you’re having chemo

Women who are having chemo for their breast cancer should start taking vitamin D supplements every day.

The vitamin boosts the effectiveness of the drug, and increases the chances of a full recovery, say researchers at the Botucatu School of Medicine in Brazil.  Vitamin D supports the immune system, which can help repair damage caused by the chemo.

They tested the effectiveness of the vitamin on a group of 80 women who were about to start their chemo treatment for breast cancer.  Half were given the vitamin every day and the rest took a placebo tablet.

After six months, 43 percent of the vitamin D group reported that the cancer had completely disappeared, while just 24 percent of the non-vitamin group saw the same result.

The women were given 2,000 IUs of vitamin D a day, which is above the recommended level of 600 IUs, but still way below the amount needed to reverse a deficiency, common in the West.  For that, the daily dose should be above 7,000 IUs a day.

At the start of the trial, most of the women were deficient, and had just a third of the level considered to be necessary to support health.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community