Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer | Helpline Questions

PCRI’s Executive Director, Mark Scholz, MD, describes vitamin D's relevance in prostate cancer management and gives advice for coordinating with your physician to find the appropriate dose if your vitamin D levels are low.

0:01 Vitamin D is often brought up in the context of prostate cancer; most likely because men undergoing hormone treatments experience accelerated calcium loss from the bones (osteoporosis). Adequate vitamin D levels ensure the optimal absorption of calcium, and typically men on hormone therapy should be taking calcium and vitamin D together before bedtime.

0:36 Like with many other supplements, there has been some hype regarding what vitamin D is capable of and a lot of questionable claims about dosing. Actually, there is no universal dosage and the massive amounts that are being touted by the megadose trend are not useful. The appropriate course of action is to have your vitamin D level checked annually by a physician. About 25% of men in their 60s, 70s, and 80s have a vitamin D level below 30 ng/ml which is considered low. If your vitamin D level is low it's advisable to take about 1,000-2,000 units per day, and then retest about 3-4 months later to make sure that levels are not too high or low. Period retesting is also recommended.

2:13 Ensuring a proper level of vitamin D is essential for men on hormone therapy to help prevent any unnecessary bone loss. Rather than taking megadoses, men should have their vitamin D levels checked, coordinate with their physician, and decide how much to take based on their individual situation.

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