DEFEND YOUR LIFE V

Ryan, a melanoma survivor, delves into research connecting vitamin D supplementation with cancer prevention and treatment.

In the fifth volume of her Defend Your Life series, the author asserts that maintaining an ideal level of vitamin D by adhering to a specific “Wellness Protocol,” including daily doses of several supplements, may prevent most cancers and treat them in their early stages. She begins with an overview of the vitamin, including recent research on the best sources of supplementation. Next, she moves to a review of scientific literature on the relationships between consumption of the vitamin and six different types of cancer. Overall, Ryan argues that the basic functions of the fat-soluble hormone are likely to help those with high risk factors for development of the disease. In the specific section on melanoma, Ryan reveals her own relationship to the subject matter, discussing a difficult brush with that disease that she thinks could have been prevented with vitamin supplementation and greater sun safety: “The lesson learned is that we should not be in direct sunlight longer than 15-20 minutes before covering ourselves with appropriate clothing and sunscreen.” Ryan, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University and a Master of Science degree from the National War College in Washington, D.C., is skillful at explaining complex biological processes in accessible language. However, some of her arguments are weakened by overgeneralization. For several of the cancers she discusses, for example, no research has shown a connection between vitamin D consumption and successful treatment or prevention; these sections, therefore, offer an overabundance of statistics that sometimes feel irrelevant. Nonetheless, for anyone who may be seeking a layman’s summary of the issues at hand, Ryan's book is clear and straightforward.

A digestible overview, occasionally hampered by superfluous data.