Who Knew Milk and Fish Did THIS?
Drinking milk or eating fish daily–both of which are packed with vitamin D–will help protect people from developing potentially cancerous growths in the colon, Reuters reports of a new study conducted by researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The study: More than 3,000 veterans, most of whom were men ages 50 to 75, received colonoscopies, which are routine colon cancer screening exams, between 1994 and 1997. During a colonoscopy, a long flexible tube is inserted in the rectum and snaked through to the large intestine. Abnormal growths can be detected and removed. Before the colonoscopy, study participants completed detailed health questionnaires about their diet, family history, and lifestyle habits.
The results: Reuters reports that advanced polyps were found in 299 of the 3,100 participants, and colon cancer was detected in 30 people. But those whose daily diets were rich in vitamin D–that is, contained more than 654 international units (IUs) of vitamin D daily–were 40 percent less likely to develop polyps than the veterans who got little or no vitamin D. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D for adults is 200 to 800 IUs.
Besides milk and fish, other foods that are rich in vitamin D include fortified, ready-to-eat cereals, eggs and egg substitutes, evaporated milk, and margarine. In addition, supplements are frequently combined with calcium and often contain at least 200 IUs.
And that’s not all. The Veterans Affairs researchers also confirmed the findings of several previous studies that found that cereal fiber and the regular use of aspirin or ibuprofen reduce the risk of advanced polyps even if the person smokes, drinks heavily, or has a family history of polyps–all of which raise the risk.
The study findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
