Researchers at Stanford have previous shown that mice lacking vitamin D receptors have more skin cancer. In vitro studies have also shown that adding vitamin D to skin cancer cells sometimes reduces their growth.
Now, a new analysis suggests high-risk women who take Vitamin D and calcium supplements might have a lower risk of melanoma.
The researchers analyzed data from the Women’s Health Initiative study, which randomized 36,282 postmenopausal women to 400IU of vitamin D and 1000mg of calcium supplements or placebo and followed them for 7 years.
The researchers found that in women who had a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk for melanoma by almost 55% (P=0.38).
In women who did not have a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer, there was no reduction in risk with calcium and vitamin D supplementation.
A separate analysis also revealed that women who had lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at study entry had a higher risk for melanoma.
As always, please check with your physicians before taking any supplements.
Source: Presented at the American Academy of Dermatology 69th Annual Meeting.
Please visit healthreason.com for more health related articles.
