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Disease rates for Black America

American Cancer Society Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans 2004-2005
Blacks have approximately 30 to 40% more cancer and in some cases a 250% higher death rate than Whites) twice the diabetes, 5 times the kidney disease.

Life Expectancy for Black America

Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans 2004-2005
More tragically, life expectancy for Black men is 68.6 years old compared to 75.0 for White men (6.4 year difference) and Black women are 75.5 versus 80.2 for White women (4.7 Year Difference) This is a “six year discrepancy” for men and almost a “five year discrepancy” for women.

Vitamin D deficiency & the elderly

(“Vitamin-D: Importance in the Prevention of Cancers, Type 1 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Osteoporosis”)
This is very troubling because the elderly are also at extreme risk for vitamin-D deficiency and it has been observed that 30% of free-living elderly whites, 42% of elderly Hispanics, and 84% of elderly Blacks were vitamin-D deficient in a study performed in Boston.

Vitamin D deficiency & Babies

“Vitamin-D: Importance in the Prevention of Cancers, Type 1 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Osteoporosis”, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
A newborn’s vitamin-D is approximately one-half that of its mother’s vitamin-D. A risk factor for poor vitamin-D status in early infancy is maternal vitamin-D deficiency during pregnancy, resulting in inadequate maternal transfer of vitamin-D to the fetus and low infant stores. Infants and young children who are vitamin-D deficient may be imprinted for the rest of their lives with increased risk of type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and many common cancers. Recently it has been reported that young adults with vitamin-D deficiency were at greater risk of congestive heart failure than were their vitamin-D sufficient counterparts. IMPORTANT NOTE: PAGE 51 #13 It was recently recognized that 42% of African American women aged 15-49 throughout the United States were vitamin D deficient [25(OH)D < 40 nmol/L] at the end of the winter.”

Vitamin D deficiency & Diabetes

Ken C. Chiu, Oct 16, 2004, Vol 166, #16, Page248 University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of diabetes as well as of cancer. Many studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes.” “Vitamin D deficiency is a double jeopardy for type 2 diabetes.” concludes Chiu. He says he now “worries that for people on the cusp of developing the disease, vitamin deficiency may tip the balance.”