Some men diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer may be able to keep it from progressing by taking extra vitamin D.
In a study, 37 men who had chosen prostatectomies were randomly assigned to take either 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day or a placebo. After two months, they underwent the operations.
Gleason Scores Dropped Between Biopsy and Prostate Removal
All of these men had had low Gleason scores on their biopsies, a measure of cancer aggressiveness. In the vitamin D supplementation group, Gleason scores on the prostates that were removed were often even lower, while the prostate tumors in the men taking placebo scored the same as before or even higher.
Reduced Inflammation
There were changes in many markers of inflammation, with lower levels in the men taking vitamin D. The scientists hypothesize that vitamin D supplementation lowers inflammation, taking the heat out of low-grade prostate cancers.
With more research, vitamin D supplementation during active surveillance might be enough to keep low-grade prostate cancer under control for a significant period of time.
249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
