The most prolific natural health advocate on the web has issued a statement blasting the American Cancer Society for not embracing better cancer-prevention programs ­ including encouraging people to optimize their vitamin D blood levels with regular UV exposure.

Dr. Jospeh Mercola, founder of Mercola.com, published “Cancer Advancements that Need to Become Mainstream Knowledge” as part of an essay criticizing the American Cancer Society for being too cozy with those who back treatments and not concentrating on scientifically supported cancer prevention strategies.

“In the report titled ‘American Cancer Society: More Interested In Accumulating Wealth Than Saving Lives” Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, plainly lays to bare the many conflicts of interest that hamper the effectiveness of this organization,” Mercola writes. “For example, the ACS has close financial ties to both makers of mammography equipment and cancer drugs. But that’s just for starters. Other conflicts of interest include ties to, and financial support from, the pesticide-, petrochemical-, biotech-, cosmetics-, and junk food industries — the very industries whose products are the primary contributors to cancer!”

Mercola wants the ACS to better acknowledge prevention strategies such as lowering sugar intake, better diet and exercise and fully acknowledging the flood of research on vitamin D and cancer prevention.

He considers vitamin D optimization the second-most important thing a person can do to prevent cancer next to reducing sugar intake.

“There’s overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that vitamin D deficiency plays a crucial role in cancer development,” Mercola writes.

“Researchers within this field have estimated that about 30 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented each year simply by optimizing the vitamin D levels in the general population. Countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer because their vitamin D levels are too low due to utter lack of sun exposure.”

He continues, “On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure.

And if you are being treated for cancer it is likely that higher blood levels — probably around 80-90 ng/ml — would be beneficial.”

Mercola believes sunbed usage can be part of the solution for many.

“The health benefits of optimizing your levels, either by safe sun exposure (ideally), a safe tanning bed, or oral supplementation as a last resort, simply cannot be overstated,” he writes.

To read Mercola’s article in FoodConsumer.org, click here.