Cancer, the deadly killer disease is in news for new findings everyday. Here’s the latest.
Researchers say that almost 30,000 cases of breast and colon cancer could be prevented in Britain alone if they could spend an average of 10-15 minutes exposing themselves to sunlight.
They believe that over 60,000 cancer cases are due to deficiency of Vitamin D, which protects against cancer. This is especially true where the sun exposure levels are relatively low. It is found that lower levels of vitamin D are linked to breast and colon cancer and by increasing vitamin D levels, these cancers could be prevented.
Dr Cedric Garland, the cancer prevention specialist who led the study, says:
This could be best achieved with a combination of diet, supplements and short intervals – ten or 15 minutes a day – in the sun.
Vitamin D is made when the body is exposed to sun’s UV rays. In the northern countries, the exposure to sunlight is effective during summer and during cloudy days, the chances of vitamin D production are less. A minimum of intake of 50 microgrammes a day of vitamin D3 could keep these two cancers in check.
They also advice that people wear a hat and are covered with clothes in case they spend more than 15 minutes in sunlight so that they don’t invite skin cancer when they are taking measures to prevent breast and colon cancer.
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