Vitamin D and your prostate

Here's something from the web

How Vitamin D Can Help with Enlarged Prostate Problems

The relationship between vitamin D and BPH has been evaluated in a number of trials. One study evaluated 4,770 participants in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial who were free of BPH at baseline. Over seven years, 876 incident BPH cases were documented. When the investigators analyzed factors such as diet, alcohol, and supplement use via a food frequency questionnaire, they determined there were no associations between supplemental antioxidants and BPH risk, and there was “weak evidence for associations of lycopene, zinc, and supplemental vitamin D with reduced risk.” (Kristal 2008)

At least one study has reported that a low level of vitamin D circulating in the blood is linked to a greater risk of having an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. An epidemiological study of 977 randomly chosen men investigated the prevalence of prostate disease based on blood samples, a questionnaire, and physical examination. Investigators found a 23.1 percent prevalence of BPH, 5.1 percent of prostatitis, and 3.7 percent of prostate cancer. Among other discoveries, the authors reported finding lower levels of vitamin D in men who had BPH and prostate cancer. Because vitamin D inhibits cellular proliferation, the authors noted that “lower levels are confirmatory with its loss of protective role against prostate cancer.” (Galic 2008)

Additional evidence can be found in a study conducted in Italy in which researchers identified how the vitamin D receptor agonist elocalcitol, a synthetic derivative of vitamin D3, is capable of stopping growth of the prostate in men who have BPH. The process by which elocalcitol both stops inflammation and the growth of BPH cells is complex, and involves elocalcitol’s ability to significantly inhibit production of IL-8, a substance involved in BPH pathogenesis, by BPH cells stimulated with inflammatory cytokines, and IL-8-induced proliferation of BPH cells. The authors concluded that their data “provide a mechanistic explanation for the anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties of elocalcitol in BPH cells. (Penna 2009)

I am in the sun all the time, and have a very large prostate.  Did turp twice and Greenlight laser once. I live in Hawaii, and so lots of sun,and I am always in the yard, and when I was younger, out surfing several times a week...and when I was really young, into my 40's, at the beach daily.