Nutraceutical R&D In Brief
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Vitamin D and pancreatic cancer: Vitamin D supplementation cuts the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly in half, according to a study in the September Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. Halcyon Skinner, PhD, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, et al., find that taking the U.S. recommended daily allowance of vitamin D (400 IU) reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43%. Those who consume less than 150 IU/day experience a 22% reduced risk of cancer. No significant benefit was found for those consuming more than 400 IU/day. Skinner et al. analyzed data on 46,771 men age 40-75 and 75,427 women age 38-65. The authors recommend further research to determine whether vitamin D ingestion from dietary sources is preferable to multivitamin supplementation. Some multivitamins contain retinol, an antagonist that influences vitamin D's ability to affect mineral balances and bone integrity, Skinner et al. note...