Last Updated on September 27, 2023 by Aditi Gangal
Quick Take
A social media post claims vitamin D cures cancer and is the most effective medicine against cancer. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False.
The Claim
A Twitter post claims vitamin D is the single most effective medicine against cancer. The post is embedded below:
Fact Check
What is the claimed Twitter post about?
The claimed Twitter post seems to spread misinformation as scientific evidence still does not confirm whether vitamin D cures cancer completely. We searched and found that the tweet has been shared by a bot that automatically retweets health-related posts shared on Twitter by other accounts. The claimed Twitter post has received 436 retweets, 14 quote tweets, and 1,935 likes till we last checked.
Can vitamin D cure cancer?
No. The available research does not confirm vitamin D cures all cancer. The available research only speculates whether vitamin D can kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells and prevent the formation of new ones.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) website informs that exposure to sunlight produces vitamin D. So, researchers hypothesize that a change in vitamin D level might allow cancer-causing components to affect normal cell functioning and cause cancer. Also, this website shows that available evidence is insufficient to confirm that high vitamin D intake lowers cancer incidence.
Dr Sarthak Moharir, (MBBS, MD, Radiation Oncology), Consultant Radiation Oncologist at HCG Cancer Centre in Vadodara, Gujarat, informs, “Vitamin D doesn’t cure any cancer. No study proves the same. Vitamin D deficiency is notoriously common in India despite being a sunny country. So, vitamin D supplements are frequently prescribed to patients because cancer treatment leads to decreased food intake and hence decreased vitamin consumption.”
Dr Manish Singhal, Senior Oncologist, Apollo Hospital, Delhi, in an interview with THIP MEDIA explained that vitamin D has a preventive role and can avoid cancer relapse.
Is vitamin D treatment for breast cancer approved in India?
It does not seem so. Indian doctors do not recommend Vitamin D as a chemotherapy drug.
Dr Moharir further informs, “Vitamin D supplements are pointedly given to breast cancer patients because breast cancer treatment frequently involves female hormone blockers. Female hormones are essential for bone health so they need supplements of vitamin D. Vitamin D does not cure any cancer nor is listed as a treatment of choice in any national or international guideline’. Even though evidence suggests vitamin D may play a role in controlling breast cancer cells from growing, the research still does not confirm the correct drug delivery method and optimum dosage to make the use of vitamin D against cancer a standard practice. We also searched and found evidence that shows the daily recommended dose of vitamin d for adults is 4000 IU/day. A high vitamin D dose can cause hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria which causes excess calcium in the body or urine.
Similarly to vitamin D, THIP MEDIA has encountered inconsistent claims about certain nutrients curing cancer. We have also debunked the notion that selenium cures cancer in one story. Also the idea of baking soda curing cancer in another one. However, it is not recommended to rely solely on these substances for cancer treatment.
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