The vitamin that could increase resistance to cancer. Gratifying study in the journal Science

A recent study, published in the journal Science, suggests that vitamin D could play an important role in the fight against cancer, he says AFP.

By the Observator editorial team on 26.04.2024, 14:26

The researchers found that mice fed a vitamin D-rich diet had increased resistance to tumors and responded better to immunotherapy treatments.

The study was conducted at the Francis Crick Institute in London, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Danish University of Aalborg.

The study showed that vitamin D acts in the gut, promoting the growth of a beneficial bacteria called Bacteroides fragilis. This bacterium appears to be responsible for boosting the immune system of mice, making them more resistant to cancer.

Link between cancer and vitamin D

Previous studies have suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer risk in humans, although the evidence was inconclusive.

Researchers analyzed a data set from 1.5 million people in Denmark, which revealed a link between low levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of cancer, ANSA notes.

A separate analysis of some cancer patients also suggested that people with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to respond well to immunotherapy treatments.

“It is possible that vitamin D regulates the gut microbiome to favor a type of bacteria that confers better immunity to cancer. This may one day be important for the treatment of cancer in humans, but further studies are needed,” he explains. Caetano Reis e Sousa, the lead author of the study.