An interesting study was released this week that made headlines stating Vitamin D can help prevent breast cancer. But reading the study what it really stated is that girls with the highest intake of Vitamin D during puberty/adolescents had the lowest incidence of breast cancer. Those with the highest amount of sun exposure had the lowest rates of breast cancer. This is very similar to my meta-analysis paper on soy phytoestrogen and breast cancer protection. The girls that consumed the highest amounts of soy during puberty had the lowest breast cancer risk.
What does this tell us? That diet during puberty/adolescents plays a large role of health in later years. During puberty we have the second fastest cell differentiation in our body (the first when we are an infant). Higher cell differentiation also means a higher risk for mutant DNA or RNA. Having protective mechanisms such as phytoestrogens, vitamin D, antioxidants during this time may very well reduce cancer risk later in life. You can get the entire study here Vitamin D breast cancer risk.
Make sure your kids eat a healthy diet and use sunscreen judiciously, it may very well save them later in life.
In Health,
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist & Nutritionist Dietitian
Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, & Nutrition
Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, Massachusetts
