Reducing Your Risk Of Colorectal Cancer With Vitamin D

If you’re consuming products high in vitamin D, such as fortified milk and breakfast cereal, you may be doing more than supporting your bones and muscles. Medical experts are linking high levels of the vitamin to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study in the journal Gut.

Researchers looked at blood samples of more than 900 adults who participated in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Within the group, 318 people subsequently developed cancer and 624 did not. And those with higher levels of vitamin D in their systems had a lower-than-average risk of developing colorectal tumors.

Vitamin D may act by boosting the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, say researchers. You can get vitamin D from sun exposure, fatty fish, eggs and fortified foods and beverages.