Tuesday, December 3, 2024
HomeCancerVitamin A May Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

Vitamin A May Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

Dietary supplementation with retinol may slash skin cancer risk by as much as 40%.

Previous laboratory studies suggest that increased consumption of vitamin A and carotenoids exerts protective effects against melanoma.  Maryam Asgari, from Kaiser Permanente Northern California (California, USA), and colleagues collected data from 69,635 men and women who enrolled in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) Study.  After an average of 5.84 years of follow-up, 566 incident melanomas were identified. Whereas the researchers did not find a relationship between melanoma risk and dietary vitamin A, they did observe a 40% risk reduction among those subjects who took dietary supplements of retinol.   The study authors conclude that: “Retinol supplementation may have a preventative role in melanoma among women.”

Asgari MM, Brasky TM, White E. “Association of Vitamin A and Carotenoid Intake with Melanoma Risk in a Large Prospective Cohort.”  J Invest Dermatol.,  Mar 1, 2012.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular