Cancer does not discriminate. It can come out of nowhere and change any of our lives on any given day – regardless of our age, gender, or race. With the World Health Organization (WHO) attributing cancer to up to 7.6 million deaths each year, we’ve all most likely been impacted by cancer in some way. Whether we’ve been diagnosed and battled the disease ourselves, or we’ve had to watch a loved one’s struggle.

While we all cling to the hope of a cure emerging someday, all we are armed with right now is a greater understanding of the disease as more and more science emerges.

It is estimated that up to 30% of cancer deaths can be linked to how we live – lifestyle factors like our diet, lack of exercise, poor weight management, and things like tobacco use or excessive alcohol consumption are major contributors.

For example, when people think of the health complications that come with obesity, they tend to think of things that come with being out of shape. Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Very few people realize that being overweight can increase the likelihood of cancer by as much as 40 percent.

So what can we do to defend against cancer? Well, aside from making ourselves crazy by fixating on every potential cancer causer we read or hear about, we can focus on what we CAN control rather than what we CANNOT.

How about this? When we think of defense against cancer, remember the “D” is for proper diet and maintaining optimal Vitamin D levels.

We can make sure our diets include plenty of cancer-fighting foods like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, and dark leafy green vegetables like spinach, collards, kale, mustard greens, and romaine lettuce. Spices like curcumin have anti-tumor and antioxidant properties. Garlic doesn’t just fight off vampires, it also helps our cells fight off cancer. The antioxidant benefits of drinking green tea and eating superfoods like blueberries are also beneficial in thwarting off cancer.

Another line of defense is making sure our Vitamin D levels are optimal. Although it is present in a limited amount of food sources, our primary source of Vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight. Our body converts this inactive form into a usable form that actually acts more like a hormone than a vitamin. However, for a number of reasons, many people today aren’t getting enough daily sunlight exposure. The result of this is suboptimal Vitamin D levels.

We are learning more every day about the risks associated with Vitamin D deficiency. 25% of the U.S. population has a severe Vitamin D deficiency, while half of all men and women in the country have lower than desired levels.

Just a few years ago, the optimal level of Vitamin D was considered to be anywhere from 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). That recommended level has now been increased to 50-80 ng/ml. Even higher amounts of 80-100 ng/ml are recommended to anyone treating cancer or heart disease.

Vitamin D interacts with one in every 25 genes in our body. Being deficient in Vitamin D puts at a greater risk of developing cancer since our genetic infrastructure is compromised. Our immune system is also weakened, making our body less capable of defending against viruses, bacteria, and cancer. When it comes to cancer, the body is unable to destroy precancerous cells and prevent them from developing into cancer.

Although lacking a quality clinical trial as evidence, Vitamin D researchers have suggested that up to 70 percent of breast cancer cases may be preventable if optimal Vitamin D levels are maintained.

According to the Vitamin D Council, the human body needs anywhere from 3,000 IU to 5,000 IU of Vitamin D for optimum health. D3 is the most effective form for health benefits. Since being in the sun every day, year-round, just isn’t possible for most people, in addition to it being risky due to skin cancer, supplementation just may be the best way to go for anyone who doesn’t work outside every day.