The benefits of vitamin D are well-documented by now, since the medical community has shown it to be essential for bone strength, cardiovascular health and the prevention of several diseases.Researchers from Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology in Spain have recently added even more weight to the importance of adequate vitamin D levels, and have shown how it protects against colon cancer.
In a study involving mice and human colon cancer cells, the scientists found that the nutrient's receptor, VDR, plays an integral role in halting the action of a protein known to stimulate the carcinogenic process.
"The stimulation of this receptor suppresses the action of the beta-catenin protein, intercepting the series of events that change the intestinal cell into a malignant tumor cell," said study coordinator Hector Palmer.
The scientists found that mice that lacked the VDR receptor necessary to process vitamin D had significantly larger and more aggressive tumors than normal rodents. In human cell cultures, the researchers observed that cells without VDR had a greater concentration of the beta-catenin protein.
http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/study-vitamin-d-plays-important-role-in-preventing-colon-cancer/
