Nutritional Pearls: Vitamin D Supplements Don't Prevent Cancer or Heart Disease

Your patient is a 52-year-old man who isn’t getting enough vitamin D. He tells you that because of a fear of skin cancer, he tries to avoid unprotected exposure to sunlight and that he struggles to find foods that are high in vitamin D. Because of this, he is interested in beginning to take a vitamin D supplement to help lower his risk of cancer and heart disease.

How do you advise your patient?

(Answer and discussion on next page)

Dr. Gourmet is the definitive health and nutrition web resource for both physicians and patients with evidence-based resources including special diets for coumadin users, patients with GERD/acid reflux, celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, low sodium diets (1500 mg/d), and lactose intolerance.

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, is a board-certified internist and professional chef who translates the Mediterranean diet for the American kitchen with familiar, healthy recipes. He is an assistant dean for clinical services, executive director of The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, associate professor of medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans, and faculty chair of the all-new Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist program.