'D'-fend against breast cancer

I hate to belabor the point, but the evidence in favor of an increased intake of D keeps growing.

Statistics were flying at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research. Keep in mind as you read on that the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU)--the amount in a basic multivitamin pill.

In one meta-analysis (a study of studies) on vitamin D concentrations in the blood and subsequent breast cancer development, researchers found that an extra 1,000 IU a day over the normal background intake lowered a woman's risk of breast cancer by 10%.

Investigators at the University of California San Diego found a strong correlation between rising vitamin D levels and decreased breast cancer risk. Those whose serum vitamin D concentrations exceeded 52 ng/ml, a level that would require an intake of more than 2,700 IU per day, had a 50% lower breast cancer rate compared with the 'D'-less individuals whose puny little levels fell below 12.