Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Study: More vitamin D lowers risk of colon cancer

In a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers have found that people with high levels of vitamin D in their blood have a lesser risk of developing colon cancer.

The study included over 520,000 people from several countries in Western Europe. Between 1992 and 1998, researchers collected blood samples from each participant and had them complete questionnaires concerning lifestyle and diet. Study participants were then tracked for several years following their assessment.


Researchers compared the 1,248 study participants who developed colorectal cancer at some point during their follow-up period with 1,248 people who did not develop the cancer. They concluded that for people with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood, the risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer was up to 40 percent lower than that of people with the lowest levels of the vitamin.


Although these findings are valuable, it is not apparent whether colon cancer can be better prevented through a greater intake of vitamin D. In addition, researchers are unsure whether taking in high levels of the vitamin poses any risks. According to the National Cancer Institute, risk factors for developing colon cancer include age, obesity and lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption.


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