The Plain Truth's: Your Health Today ONLINE: Study: Low Vitamin D Raises Beast Cancer Risks

Early signs of breast cancer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Women with low levels of vitamin D may face a higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to new research led by the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine.

The study, published online in the journal Cancer Causes and Control, involved 1,200 healthy women and found that those with low blood levels of vitamin D had three times the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer as women with higher levels of the “sunshine vitamin.”

"While the mechanisms by which vitamin D could prevent breast cancer are not fully understood, this study suggests that the association with low vitamin D in the blood is strongest late in the development of the cancer, "said lead researcher Cedric Garland, a family and preventive medicine specialist.

Garland said the findings suggest boosting vitamin D levels may help prevent breast cancer by blocking the development of blood vessels tumors require to grow and spread.

"Based on these data, further investigation of the role of vitamin D in reducing incidence of premenopausal breast cancer, particularly during the late phases of its development, is warranted," he said.