NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Increasing levels of vitamin D in food can reduce the risk of cancer by 13 percent, according to a recent scientific study by the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh.
The study included 79,000 healthy adults. Dietary supplementation was associated with at least three years of vitamin D, a 13% lower risk of cancer.
Dr. Shifeng Mao, a researcher at the institute, found that people with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to develop pancreatic cancer and also had a risk of bowel cancer.
Vitamin D is produced when the skin is exposed to sunlight, and can also be obtained by eating liver, eggs, red meat and oily fish.
Those who do not eat enough of these foods or fail to get enough sun exposure, especially in the dark winter months, should take supplements.