Vitamin A May Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

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Previous laboratory studies suggest that increased consumption of vitamin A and carotenoids helps protect against melanoma.

Maryam Asgari and colleagues of Kaiser Permanente Northern California collected data from 69,635 men and women who enrolled in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) Study.

After following up for an average of 5.84 years, the researchers identified 566 incident melanomas. Whereas they did not find a relationship between melanoma risk and dietary vitamin A, they did observe a 40 percent risk reduction in those subjects who took dietary supplements of retinol, concluding, “Retinol supplementation may have a preventative role in melanoma among women.”

Asgari, M.M., et al. Association of Vitamin A and Carotenoid Intake with Melanoma Risk in a Large Prospective Cohort. J Invest Dermatol. 132(6):1573-82.

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net