A new analysis of 63 previous studies exploring the possible link between several types of cancer and vitamin D deficiency suggests that the vitamin can help reduce the risk of contracting colon, breast and ovarian cancers.
The findings are detailed in “The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention,” which appears in the current online edition of the American Journal of Public Health, and will appear in the journal’s February 2006 print edition.
The study’s authors, including Cedric F. Garland, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, also found that low levels of vitamin D were common in several groups of people, including those who are overweight, black, elderly or residents of the northeastern United States.
To maintain adequate levels of the active form of vitamin D--known as vitamin D3--Garland recommends consuming yogurt, cheese, orange juice, fatty fish and milk. In addition, brief daily walks increase exposure to vitamin D from the sun.
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