As most of you know this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Everything in the news seems to put the emphasis on early detection and medical breakthrough cures. I have a problem with that thinking. Main stream medical never thinks about prevention. The majority of cancer research money goes into pharmaceuticals cures and completely overlooks prevention; even self breast exam (which I am in favor of) is about finding cancer that is already present.

There have been numerous studies at universities around the world on the benefits of Vitamin D3 serum levels. One such study I researched was at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California San Diego. Their findings were published in April of 2009 indicating a serum level of 60-80 ng/ml of vitamin D3 will result in a 75% reduction in the number of deaths from invasive cancer and 50,000 fewer cases of invasive breast cancer per year in North America.

Another published study by researcher Sylvia Christakos, Ph.D. of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School examined the inhibition of the growth of malignant cells found in breast cancer as it relates to serum blood levels. What is exciting about this study is the fact that women with breast cancer or who have previous had breast cancer can also benefit from increasing their serum levels of vitamin D!

What can you do to raise your vitamin D levels? A study using meta-analysis in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine said; exposure to direct sunlight daily for 15-20 minutes of the day with 50% of the skin exposed plus a minimum of 2,000 iu’s a day of a vitamin D supplement.  Other studies suggest 5,000 to 7,000 iu’s a day!

How do you know what your vitamin D levels are? A simple blood test can be ordered by your physician or health care practitioner called a D-25 hydroxy. Your levels should be between 60 and 80 ng/ml to benefit from the effects of vitamin D3. I have heard many people worry about overdosing on vitamin D. I have to say of all the people I test for vitamin D I have not found one who tests high.  Even people I have put on 5,000 iu’s a day can still test low and need to increase their dose.

So is the prevention all about vitamin D3? Of course not! It is also about the other factors that affect our health like stress, diet and exercise. Learning to relax and unwind or to take the time to plan healthy meals can also play a major role in prevention! Other supplements that are high in anti-oxidants like glutathione, vitamin E, vitamin C and even fish oils can make a difference.

As we increase our awareness of Breast Cancer this month by wearing pink or pink ribbons think of the cure as being the prevention of the disease. As you run or join in a fun walk for the cause remember the cure lies within each of us as we make our daily life choices.

At OVitaminPro.com, our passion is prevention and we demonstrate that by offering scientific based blood, urine and saliva test as well as healthy positive nutrition!  To learn more about our products and the healthy lifestyles we ourselves, as well as our customers, strive to achieve, be sure to stop by our newly designed site and browse around! Just as we sometimes need a refreshed look and feel, we felt it was time the OVitaminPro.com site needed one as well!