New research suggests that maintaining high levels of vitamin D may help slow the spread of prostate cancer. Individuals who have been diagnosed with low-grade tumors may want consider lab testing to check their levels of this important nutrient.
In the study, researchers from the Medical University in South Carolina tracked the health of nearly 100 men who were diagnosed with non-invasive forms of prostate cancer. These patients are often advised to simply have a doctor monitor their condition. During this period of active surveillance, the researchers administered vitamin D supplements to a portion of the participants.
The results showed that the men who received the nutritional supplements were significantly less likely to have their condition progress to a more serious stage than those who did not boost their vitamin D levels.
More research may be needed to understand the reasons for the correlation, the researchers said. But in the meantime, men with low-grade prostate cancer have little to lose from vitamin D supplementation. The study observed no negative side effects associated with supplementation.