Many cases of leukemia across the globe may be caused by vitamin D deficiency, resulting from low sunlight exposure. So concludes a new study in PLOS One.
While scientists are still unsure of the exact causes of leukemia, genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role.
Although vitamin D is found in foods, especially oily fish, cheese, and egg yolks, it is present in small amounts. The body’s best source of vitamin D is sunlight; specifically, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun penetrates bare skin, inducing vitamin D synthesis.
The researchers found that people living in countries farther from the equator, such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland, are at least twice as likely to have leukemia as people living in countries closest to the equator, such as Nigeria, Bolivia, Samoa, and Madagascar.
The problem is that, in countries farther from the equator, solar energy must travel farther through the atmosphere, reducing the amount of UVB radiation that reaches our skin.
Dr. Marcel comments: I find this research quite interesting, in that every single cancer patient who enters our clinic has low levels of Vitamin D when we first test them.
Also interesting is that even those patients who lots of time outdoors have low Vitamin D levels. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, at 37.78 degrees north latitude, we need to be extra-careful to keep our Vitamin D levels high – through regular sun exposure, appropriate food choices, and supplements.
Other Valuable Vitamin Therapies in the Treatment of Cancer
Many people have heard that intravenous vitamin C therapy can be an effective complementary cancer therapy. Intravenous C helps stimulate the immune system and is directly cytotoxic to cancer cells.
We use this therapy often for our cancer patients at Hernandez Center. What people may not know is that we also offer many other IV therapies that are very helpful in supporting our cancer patients, depending on their symptoms and individual needs.
For example, we often give IV nutrients between IV vitamin C treatments, to help our patients feel more energetic, and to help rebuild their strength when they are feeling fatigued or have low blood counts.
Among the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer IV therapies we offer are curcumin (turmeric) and IV silibinin (from milk thistle).
An IV treatment that helps our cancer patients avoid excessive weight loss, or to gain weight, is an infusion of a variety of amino acids.
These are just a few of the protocols we offer to our cancer patients at the Hernandez Center. For more information, or to set up an appointment, please give us a call: (650) 917-1121.
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