International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

High intake of vitamin D can help prevent or lower the incidence of breast cancer, a new study has revealed.

US researchers found there is a need for the higher intake of the vitamin to reach blood levels to reduce the risk of the illness.

Several thousand volunteers were studied for the research, which saw participants taking vitamin D doses ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 IU/day.

Dr Cedric Garland, professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, said: "We found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4,000-8,000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases [including] breast cancer."

Recently, researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found conducting yearly mammograms on women from the age of 40 could save 71 per cent more lives.

Posted by Martine Ward