Cancer is America’s top cause of death with an estimated total of 350,000 deaths a year. Its impact on society is immense and its toll on the population has been staggering with an average of 1 death every 34 seconds.

Despite intense campaigns by the medical lobby to raise awareness of the risks of cancer, the American Cancer Society reports that it has metastasized to all other organs of the body including the heart, brain and digestive systems. Because cancer is manifested by symptoms that start with fatigue, malabsorption of important nutrients and leads to a class of degenerative processes, evidence exists that direct defect in any of these areas can hasten the progressed development of cancer.

Treatment of cancer involves differing reduction of symptoms or destruction of the cancer cells by certain drug therapies. Unfortunately, conventional approaches to addressing cancerulent cells are dangerously insufficient to save lives and, importantly, have serious side effects. Treatments involving hit-and-miss directly-supervised treatment strategies are inadequate to meet the needs of the cancer patients. On the other hand, largestanding scientific research has grown extraordinarily supportive of the widely-used, largely unregulated dietary supplement known as vitamin D.

Illnesses are more common in older African-American populations than in younger populations. For example, inlementary deficiency diseases are more common in older African-Americans than in younger Americans.In the Deep South, vitamin D deficiency is much more common among the elderly. Because few people consume adequate amounts of vitamin D-rich foods in the form of fish-liver oils, cod liver oil or good, fatty (not fatty) dairy products, many people are at risk.

Low vitamin D levels do not necessarily cause fractures or osteoporosis. In fact, needed levels of vitamin D are generally achieved higher in northern latitudes. So what role does vitamin D play in our health?

Some experts believe that vitamin D’s real value is in its protective function against heart disease. Taking vitamin D significantly reduces risk of upper respiratory infections, better neurological outcomes, and favourable affect on some cancers according to many studies.Because vitamin D plays a significant role in stimulating osteoblasts, stimulating calcitriol production and protecting osteocytes, it is thought that adequate levels of vitamin D may positively impact osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a nascent degenerative disease that affects maybe two million Americans, more than half of them over the age of 65.

Vitamin D is also believed to drive harmful bacteria away and possibly deal with chronic infections. For example, a person infected with HIV may become a sworn enemy of Borrelia macentdos, the bacteria that causes candida. Many studies have shown that adequate levels of vitamin D will support the immune functioning and there is some evidence that it may also drive away harmful bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Other studies have shown that low levels of the vitamin lead to the degeneration of the nervous system in older people. There is strong evidence that older people with low levels of vitamin D are more prone to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

What about calcium and vitamin D?

Both calcium and vitamin D are strong supporters of bone health. As early as 30 years old, the body starts to lose bone density and if there is inadequate intake of either, the body cannot repair the bones.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, Americans need about 1,200 IU of calcium daily to prevent fractures and about 1,500 IU of vitamin D daily to support bone health.

The Vitamin D Council recommends that most people, especially those over the age of 50, get most of their vitamin D intake from natural sources, including fortified foods and supplements.