Vitamin D May Slow Cancer

Can vitamin D slow the production of cancer cells? Researchers at McGill University think it can, after seeing what the vitamin can do to a cancer fueling protein called cMYC. The researchers found that vitamin D stimulates the production of a natural antagonist of cMYC called MXD1, essentially shutting down cMYC function, and with it the likelihood that cells will progress from premalignant to malignant states. The team also applied vitamin D to the skin of mice and noticed a drop in the level of cMYC. Wait, there’s more: they found that other mice, which lacked the specific receptor for vitamin D, had elevated levels of cMYC in several tissues, including skin and the lining of the colon. Read more from McGill University, or read the study here.