Taking vitamin D cut the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly in half, according to a new study that is being called the first to show such a benefit.
Vitamin D protects against colorectal and breast cancer, earlier studies have found. And lab and animal studies show it stifles abnormal cell growth and curbs formation of blood vessels that feed tumours.
“I’ve been converted from a skeptic about a role of vitamin D in preventing cancer to a believer that there’s something there,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.