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Vitamin D Supplements may Reduce Melanoma Risk in Women

by Kathy Jones on Jun 28 2011 7:38 PM

 Vitamin D Supplements may Reduce Melanoma Risk in Women
A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has suggested that women who are at an increased risk of suffering from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can reduce the risk by opting for commonly used vitamin D supplements.
Researchers led by Dr Jean Tang of the Stanford University School of Medicine used data from the Women’s Health Initiative study in which over 36,000 postmenopausal women over the age of 50 years took part.

The researchers studied the effect of calcium and vitamin D supplements on the participants over a period of seven years and found that a daily intake of 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D reduced the risk of contracting melanoma by 57 percent.

Commenting on the study, Boston University School of Medicine’s Dr Michael Holick said, “The thinking is, improving your vitamin D status, whether by supplements or by exposure to sunlight, you are providing your skin cells with a mechanism to prevent them from becoming malignant.”



Source-Medindia


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