Researchers have recently discovered that taking a daily multivitamin along with a calcium supplement reduces the risk of breast cancer. A study based out of Puerto Rico has tested and questioned over 700 women, ages 41 to 60, regarding their supplement intake during the past five years.
268 of the women involved in the study had breast cancer, 457 of the women did not. The women were asked to fill out questionnaires to indicate how often, if at all, they take supplements and what sort of supplements they have taken during the past five years. In addition to the questionnaire, their blood was measured to test its ability to repair DNA, a very important function in reducing the risk of cancer, check more details here.
The results from this study have brought to light many contributing factors that raise the risk of breast cancer. These factors are family history of breast cancer, age, not breastfeeding, and capacity to repair damaged DNA. The study has further discovered that taking supplements A, E, and C alone can reduce the risk of breast cancer, as other studies have shown, but only slightly. Taking a daily multivitamin helps prevent breast cancer in women who pose any of the mentioned risk factors more effectively than taking vitamins A, E, and C alone. Multivitamins were shown to lower the risk of breast cancer by 30%! Calcium supplements specifically protect women who have a low capacity to repair DNA because calcium enhances the ability to repair it. The study also shows that calcium supplements can lower the risk of breast cancer and developing tumors by 40%.
While this study and its’ findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, there is still further research to be conducted. This was a small study, and while the findings were very interesting, the results are yet to be confirmed. But that should not stop you! Taking a daily dose of multivitamins and calcium is very beneficial in this day and age when meals are ate on the run and don’t often provide the nutrients our bodies need.
Sources:
Charlene Laino
Multivitamins May Cut Breast Cancer Risk
WebMD
Unknown Author
Multivitamins and Calcium Supplements Could Reduce the Breast Cancer Risk
Women’s Health Zone