Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that plays a role in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Recently, extensive research on its extraskeletal actions has linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of infection, diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, cardiovascular disease, obesity, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, colon, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer and some neurological diseases. There are various mechanisms by which vitamin D influences the natural history of cancer. These include the role of vitamin D in the induction of apoptosis, stimulation of cell differentiation, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects and inhibition of angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. The aim of this review is to clarify the true role of vitamin D in the onset of breast cancer and evolution of the disease after treatment. A further aim is to suggest new research directions to identify indications and requirements for vitamin D supplementation in patients with breast cancer.

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Palabras clave:Colesterol. Riesgo cardiovascular. Esteroles vegetales. Lipoproteínas de baja densidad (LDL). Key words:Cholesterol. Cardiovascular risk. Plant sterols. Low density lipoproteins (LDL). AbstractIntroduction: Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most relevant risk factors in cardiovascular disease, and plant sterols have been postulated as benefi cial regulator agents for the control of the disease. Objective: Analyze the effect of added plant sterols in milk in reducing plasma cholesterol in young adults. Methods: A randomized, clinical controlled trial, double-blind crossover study. Sterols (2.24 g per day) were administrated in two doses of 350 ml of commercial skimmed milk, during two phases of three weeks respectively separated by a washout period of 2 weeks, in the experimental group. The same amount of skimmed milk was administrated to the control group, but with no sterols. At the beginning and end of each phase blood draws were performed. Anthropometric data and health habits were analyzed and the following blood laboratory markers: lipid profi le, hematology, infl ammation, etc. were collected. Results: Fifty four people were included in the study with an average age of 38.8 ± 7.3 years. Differences between baseline and fi nal scores percentage were 9.73 %, 12.5 %, 1.9 %, 3.15 % y 13.2 % for total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and No HDL-cholesterol, respectively. Statistically signifi cant differences were found between the experimental group and the control group for all biomarkers analyzed except for triglycerides. Conclusion: Plant sterols supplied in commonly consumed food, such as milk, may be a non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy of hypercholesterolemia with high health interest.

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