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According to one study, a healthy diet rich in vitamin A could help reduce the risk of skin cancer.
The results of a team from Brown University were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology.
The researchers showed that people whose diets included high levels of vitamin A were 17% less likely to contract the second type of skin cancer, compared to those consuming a modest amount of food and supplements rich in vitamin A.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma was the second most common type of skin cancer in fair-skinned people. Vitamin A was known to be essential for the healthy growth and maturation of skin cells, but previous studies on its effectiveness in reducing the risk of skin cancer have been mixed, said the badociate professor of dermatology and dermatology. epidemiology, Eunyoung Cho, who led the research team.
The research team examined participants 'dietary and skin cancer outcomes in two large long-term observational studies: the Nurses' Health Study, which followed 121,700 US women in 1984 to 2012, and the follow-up study on health professionals, which followed. 51,529 American men from 1986 to 2012.
Between the two studies, about 123,000 participants were Caucasian (and therefore had a significant risk of developing skin cancer), had no history of cancer, and had completed their food reports several times. Of the individuals included in the team's subsequent badysis, 3978 cases of squamous cell carcinoma were reported and verified during the 24- or 26-year follow-up periods.
The two studies also asked participants about hair color, the number of severe sunburns they had received in their lifetime, and a family history of skin cancer, and the researchers adjusted these factors. 'other. Studies did not, however, question participants about avoiding the midday sun, considered a major risk factor for skin cancer.
After grouping study participants into five categories based on their vitamin A intake, the researchers found that subjects in the highest average daily vitamin A category were 17% less likely to get cancer. only those in the category with the fewest vitamins. A contribution.
The research found that most of the vitamins A came from participants' diets, especially fruits and vegetables, rather than animal-based foods or vitamin supplements.
The researchers also found that high consumption of herbal pigments similar to vitamin A, such as lycopene, which is commonly found in tomatoes and watermelon, was badociated with a decreased risk of cancer skin.
Associate Professor Cho said that the study provided another reason to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
"Skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma, is difficult to prevent, but this study suggests that a healthy diet rich in vitamin A may be a way to reduce your risk, in addition to wearing sunscreen and to reduce sun exposure, "she said.