In a breakthrough series of studies involving the effects of vitamin D deficiency
on people who smoke cigarettes, scientists have determined that those
smokers who have insufficient levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D3,
or 25-OHD3) are significantly more likely to suffer a diagnosis of lung cancer or some other form of debilitating lung disease.[1]
That's
right, vitamin D deficiency increases risk of lung cancer and lung
disease in smokers, according to the research. Contrary to popular
belief that smoking alone had a comparable if not identical adverse
effect on the health of the smoker, the research showed that there are
other factors involved in determining whether or not one develops
serious lung disease, cancer or other smoking-related illness, and that
there may still be more yet undiscovered factors still to come.
The
breakthrough comes upon the release of the third in a series of three
breakthrough studies dating back to 2009. Initially, the researchers
were a bit confused, speculating that it was the lung disease that
caused the abnormally low levels of vitamin D (which are actually not
abnormal because they're as common as people who have healthy levels),
and not the other way around.
Four years and several hundred
vitamin D studies later, it has become painfully clear that it is the
low vitamin D levels that trigger lapses in the immune system, rendering
one more susceptible to disease than he or she would otherwise be.
What
was unusual about this particular series of studies is that the
researchers pulled no punches when it came to stating the obvious,
something often alluded to in the abstract of a clinical trial but
rarely ever actually spelled out.
In this case, some of the more surprising statements were as follows:
"This study illustrates that simple vitamin D blood tests and supplements have the potential to improve smokers health." (Afzal et al.)[1]
"(Healthy Vitamin D Levels in an adult smoker) May have a protective effect against the damaging effects of smoking on lung function."[2]
The third of the three wasn't really an actual study so much as a clinical review of past research which had been aggregated. That was the 2009 abstract which mistakenly presumed that poor lung function caused low vitamin D levels.[3]
All-in-all, while still no substitute
for quitting smoking, vitamin D supplements may well be a good way for
smokers to minimize the damage they are doing to their bodies by
smoking.
That said, it is the recommendation of this author that
everyone who smoke check with their doctors about having vitamin D
levels tested, with supplement levels determined based upon need. It is
also the recommendation of this author that anyone capable of quitting
smoking who has the desire to do so not procrastinate in discontinuing
the unhealthy habit, regardless of vitamin D intake.
Sources:
- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22822023
- aacc.org/gov/press_room/releases/Pages/031513_release.aspx
- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2706673/
Peter Egan
is an expert author specializing in health, nutrition and in particular
vitamin D related topics. He works as the President and CEO of EGAN
Medical, a retail provider of high-quality nutritional products
including but not limited to Liquid Vitamin D3 Supplements.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_F_Egan
