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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Could calcium and vitamin D fight off breast cancer in younger women?
Maybe, report Boston researchers who followed about 10,000 pre-menopausal women and 20,000 post-menopausal women over a 10-year period. All of the women filled out regular questionnaires on health habits, lifestyles and eating habits during the study.
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By the end of the study, 276 of the younger women had developed breast cancer, versus 743 of the older women. Higher calcium and vitamin D intake was linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in the younger women, but not in the older women.
Whats the difference? Researchers explain calcium and vitamin D exert anti-cancer effects on breast cancer cells containing high levels of substances known as insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). IGFs tend to decline with age, thus younger women are more likely to have tumors that contain more of these substances.
The study supports previous research conducted in animals showing calcium and vitamin D play a role in the prevention of breast cancer.
Study authors conclude more research necessary to find out if these common nutrients could really prevent breast cancer from developing in women.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007;167:1050-1059
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