Study Examines Whether Low Vitamin D Could Raise Breast Cancer Risk
BOSTON (CBS) -- A study published in the journal Cancer looked at blood samples from 290 Black women and 125 Hispanic women who later developed breast cancer. Overall, they found those with sufficient vitamin D levels had a 21% lower rate of breast cancer compared to women with low vitamin D levels.
The link was strongest amongst Hispanic women who had a 48% lower rate of breast cancer.
It's not clear whether having low vitamin D levels increases a woman's risk of breast cancer.
This study should be a reminder to all women to ask their primary care providers whether they need to have their vitamin D levels checked or take vitamin D supplements.