- A new study explores the higher rates and severity of prostate cancer among African American men.
- Unequal access to health care is a likely factor, but not a full explanation for it.
- The higher amount of melanin in the skin and the unique manner in which men of African ancestry process vitamin D may explain the high incidence of disease in this group.
African American men are 1.7 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than other men of color or men of European backgrounds. They are also 2.1 times more likely to die of the disease.
This disparity may be partially explained by a lack of equal access to healthcare many African Americans experience, but not completely.
A new study investigates possible biological causes of this disparity, and finds that it may have to do with skin melanin and the manner in which African American men synthesize vitamin D from the sun.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Cancer in Los Angeles, CA, among others, contributed to this study. It appears in Cancer Research Communications.
Vitamin D is a critical micronutrient that promotes good bone health by increasing the absorption of calcium, and it also helps protect against prostate cancer.
The new study found that, by the same token, a lack of vitamin D appears to promote the disease.
The current consensus is that about 40% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. A new study from the Cooper Institute reports that the number may be as high as 76% for African Americans.
The human body produces vitamin D with the help of sunlight. ​Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays striking the skin synthesize a form of cholesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, into vitamin D3.
This gets carried in the bloodstream to the
Certain foods can provide additional vitamin D, and supplements are also available. If you are concerned about being vitamin D deficient, it is a good idea to be tested for…
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