By Leeland A. M. Jones, MD
The prostate gland is making big headlines. This month O.J. Simpson received a prostate cancer diagnosis, while Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s struggle with the disease led to a second hospitalization. King Charles III, in England, recently disclosed information about his enlarged prostate. And with the Jan. 22 death of Martin Luther King Jr.’s son, Dexter King, this small sexual organ has made big news recently.
As men, we don’t like to talk about this organ, but it is a primary cause of cancer in men– and especially in Black men in America. Much suffering and death can be avoided if this topic is dealt with properly.
These are such passionate and intense topics for me, I could scream. Being a doctor for 50 years, believe me, I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I can tell you, keeping secret certain topics that should be taught in high school only adds to the mystery– and mortality.
The importance of Vitamin D
First, let’s answer the question: “How is Vitamin D related to all these topics and how are they all connected to skin color?”
We need to understand that healthy vitamin D levels require sunshine– something hard to get enough of in the standard American diet (SAD Diet). Vitamin D has many essential functions: it promotes healthy bones, teeth and muscles– it even acts as a hormone. When most people think of vitamin D deficiency, they think of thinning bones. But now we know there is much more to this essential nutrient.
Darker skin means more melanin, which has many health benefits, but also requires more sunshine. The skin of people of color was created for a sunnier climate than what is typically seen in parts of North America. The fact that we spend most of our time indoors, using sunscreens and experiencing long winters only adds to the deficiency. Worse yet, not telling a person how to avoid cancers–when you know– I believe is a form of racism. It reminds me of the Tuskegee Experiments, Henrietta Lacks and the usage of her HeLa cells, and the high mortality of pregnant Black mothers and their newborns.
Vitamin D, cancer and COVID-19
The prostate gland is a small gland the size of walnut that sits just below the bladder and connects the flow of urine from the bladder to the penis. Its normal function is to take sperm from the testis and add it to the ejaculate of sperm during orgasm. It can be infected, enlarged and become a source of cancer, which isn’t uncommon in older men. Men– we need to know how this works, what leads to good health, what causes disease and how to keep ourselves and our sons healthy.
Vitamin D deficiency in Black Americans is as high as 76 percent. Low levels of vitamin D in the blood can be the cause of disease or a factor in a host of serious medical and psychological conditions that could be easily prevented. One of these conditions is cancer of the prostate gland and even aggressive prostate cancer.
Vitamin D deficiency is related to frequent illness, slow wound healing, fatigue and bone thinning, dementia and even youth onset dementia and cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum and lung. Also related to a lack of vitamin D: Depression, the “Winter Blues,” poor sleep and poor energy.
For more information, I recommend checking out information from Dr. John Campbell on Youtube. He discusses at length the ties between vitamin D and prostate cancer, as well as vitamin D and COVID-19.
It is well known that low levels or deficiency of vitamin D lowers our ability to fight infections of all kinds. This is one reason you see many Black folks getting sicker and dying quicker with COVID-19. You should see the massive doses that are given to those suffering serious infection.
I also suggest checking out “The Colors of COVID” with Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett on YouTube.
Please! Know your vitamin D blood level!
Knowing how much vitamin D you have in your blood level is crucial! Ask your doctor or health care provider for a vitamin D blood test and if low, work with your provider to optimize your levels.
Know how much vitamin D you really need
Sufficient blood levels of 25(OH)D, the measure of vitamin D status, are 20-30 ng/ml. Roughly 41 percent of the American population is below 30 ng/ml. These are not goals, but the lowest levels to AVOID. Ideal levels may be 40-60 ng/ml, especially during tough times.
What is considered normal levels have changed and are now higher. We need more than we thought. What was believed to be normal 20-30 years ago are not high enough to ward off all these illnesses and cancers. We will need 2,000-3,000 IU/day of vitamin D to achieve these minimum levels. But even higher amounts during the long winters, and higher risk factors: race, health and many other factors. Check with your doctor.
How can we get enough Vitamin D?
Now for some really good news: vitamin D is very very cheap! Foods high in vitamin D include egg yolks, fish, cheese and beef liver. These foods probably won’t be enough to maintain high enough blood levels– especially in the winter–maybe not even in the Spring and Fall either.
Supplementation is cheap and science based.
Vitamin D3 is cheap online. A bottle of 5,000 IU can be bought for $10 on Amazon. That’s enough for a family of three—for a year— if taken most days in the winter months.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice. But you are advised to consult your personal physician regarding specific health questions. The viewpoints expressed in this commentary are those of the author, not the AFRO American Newspapers.