Vitamin D may be the answer to cancer prevention, according to a study conducted on Japanese adults.
The investigation published in The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal, has found that high levels of vitamin D lowers the risk of cancer development especially liver cancer.
According to the proponents of the study, their findings support the long-standing belief that vitamin D helps reduce the risk of developing various types of cancer.
The study, which tests the link of vitamin D to cancer prevention, is the first-ever of its kind in the world. The group of Japanese researchers conducted the study on 30,000 middle-aged citizens in a span of 20 years.
The participants of the study were then asked to give samples of their blood to test for vitamin D levels. A questionnaire that aims to collect information on the volunteers' diet and medical history were also administered.
Further into details, the results showed that people who have higher levels of vitamin D in their bodies were less than likely to develop cancer when compared to those who have lower concentration of the said vitamin.
People with higher levels of vitamin D have 25 percent less chances of developing the affliction and are also 55 percent less likely to develop liver cancer.
However, researchers warn that although the study proves to have some type of effect toward the development of some types of cancer, only a certain level of vitamin D in the body can produce the same effects.
Intake of vitamin D supplements will not make the effects more pronounced or do more in terms of fighting cancer development. They note that vitamin D varies from person to person, especially ethnicity as the skin plays a major part in producing the compound.
Investigators say that this study might prove useful in terms of developing a cancer-prevention drug, but further studies should be undertaken in order to determine the specific concentration of vitamin D that will produce the effect.
