Food supplements including multivitamins and minerals are popularly sold online. Believing the claims of these supplements, unsuspecting cancer patients consume them like magic pills only to end up frustrated when their expectations aren’t fulfilled.

When it comes to cancer prevention, the best is still a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. As I have discussed in an earlier blog, vegetables eaten along with anti-cancer medications proved to be very beneficial in the fight against cancer. But, Vitamin B12, folic acid, even Vitamin A, carotene and Vitamin E proved to be harmful for cancer patients when taken in concentrated and capsule form.

Some cancer patients are convinced that folic acid and Vitamin B 12 can help them in their fight against cancer. But, a recent research prove the opposite. Treatment with exogenous sources like what is consumed as food supplements of beta carotene, Vitamin A and Vitamin E had increased mortality rates. Additionally, it had also been discovered that supplementation with Vitamin B 12 and folic acid especially in people with ischemic heart disease increased their risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, it was only theVitamin D supplement that proved beneficial bestowing protection against cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.

Clinical trial

A latest study conducted involved 6,836 patients with ischemic heart disease. It consisted of two randomized trials where one group was supplemented with vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 and folic acid for 38 months. After 6.5 years, it was revealed that ten percent of patients given Vitamin B12 and folic acid developed cancer as compared to 8.4 percent of patients in the placebo group; 4 percent died of cancer as compared to 2 percent from the placebo group and 16.1 percent died of any cause as compared to 13.8 percent from the placebo group. Cancers were lung cancer, colorectal, prostate and hematologic deficiencies. Vitamin B6 had no deleterious effect.
Folic acid and Vitamin B12 fuels and increases the rate of cell division of cancer cells and feeds their penchant to grow.

What does this specifically mean? Naturally occurring foods, rich sources of vitamins and minerals help in the fight against cancer while exogenous sources and in concentrated forms prove the opposite. These finding is a critical warning to cancer patients, not to be too eager to take multivitamin supplements rich in folic acid and Vitamin B12, and even Beta carotene, Vitamin A and vitamin E since it only make their condition worse.
But with Vitamin D the opposite is true. As recent studies had revealed, supplementation with Vitamin D proved to be very beneficial.
An athlete complaining of listlessness had been diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. Though she was training in the sun most of the time, her vitamin D serum concentration was an all time low. Supplementation was her only recourse and after that she fully recovered and made good in her career. We may think we have enough Vitamin D because we are exposed to the sun. If we lather our skin with sunscreen, this may not always be the case. The best way to get your daily dose of Vitamin D directly from the sun is from 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon for at lease 20-30 minutes twice daily. If you can’t get enough sunshine, eat Vitamin D fortified foods and take a supplement, as much as 2,000 I.U daily.
Calcitriol ,the activated form of vitamin D is responsible for regulating more than a thousand genes. Calcitriol acts like a hormone and proved to be beneficial in cancer, heart disease, inflammation, muscle wasting, influenza and colds, chronic pain, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, osteoporosis, and even depression.

Be careful of food supplements containing folic acid, vitamin B12 and even beta carotene, Vitamin A and E. As for Vitamin D, enjoy the warmth of the sun as much as possible. In winter and on cloudy days when the sun fails to shine, go ahead and swallow a vitamin D supplement with moderation.