Women with outdoor jobs 17 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer due to high vitamin D levels
There are several health issues around the world that affect women particularly. The bodies of males and females are also made differently, and therefore, require different nutrients, in different quantities in order to perform the various body functions. However, some nutrients are essential for both males and females. One such nutrient is vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone and teeth health. It has also been associated with a lower risk of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Vitamin D is especially vital for women as it helps reduce the risk of the most common cancer around the world – breast cancer.
Breast cancer recently took over lung cancer as the most common cancer around the world, according to WHO. Breast cancer can affect both men and women, but women are found to be at a higher risk. A study has however recently found that women who have outdoor jobs and spend more time in the sun are likely to have reduced risk of developing breast cancer since they get a daily dose of vitamin D.
Women who work outdoors have reduced risk of developing breast cancer
As per a new study, women who work outdoors are regularly exposed to high levels of sunlight, which reduces their risk of developing breast cancer. As per a study by Danish researchers, women who spent more than 20 years working outdoors had a 17 per cent lower chance of a breast cancer diagnosis. The team has said that this may be due to high levels of vitamin D, which is produced by the body when it is exposed to sunlight. The study, however, did not specifically look at the vitamin D levels of the participants, unable to draw a direct link between supplementation, diet, vitamin D levels, and risk of breast cancer, therefore.
Researchers identified women with a history of breast cancer and compared their data with women who did not have the disease. On analysing the parameters, they found a link between profession, sunlight exposure, and risk of breast cancer. They found that outdoor workers of more than 20 years were at 17 per cent less chance of getting breast cancer. The findings of the study were published online in the journal BMJ.
According to Julie Elbæk Pedersen, study author from the Danish Cancer Society, “The main hypothesis is that sun exposure through vitamin D production may decrease the risk of breast cancer after age 50.”
“Women who work outdoors may regularly be exposed to sunlight and thereby have more sufficient long-term levels of vitamin D compared with women working indoors,” she added.
Vitamin D and risk of breast cancer – What we know so far
Vitamin D is one of the most vital nutrients required by the body. However, due to reduced sun exposure and the increasing popularity of indoor spaces and offices, vitamin D deficiencies are on a rise. Breast cancer, at the same time, has also become the most common cancer around the world. The increasing incidence of both may imply that there exists a link between the deficiency and the risk of cancer.
According to a 2017 study, vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of breast cancer among both pre-and postmenopausal women. Among the participants who were analyzed and had breast cancer, it was found that more than 50 per cent of those individuals had severe vitamin D deficiency.
Bottom line
Given the various health repercussions that vitamin D deficiency can have on people's health, it is recommended to track your food intake, including supplements in your diet, and spend enough time in the sun to ensure you do not develop such a deficiency.