Here's good news for women. Simply upping your intake of vitamin C - whether by eating more vitamin C-rich foods, or by taking supplements - could provide powerful protection against breast cancer.
A meta-analysis conducted by Swedish researchers suggests that boosting vitamin C intake can significantly improve survival for women already diagnosed with breast cancer, in particular. The researchers evaluated 10 observational studies that included a total of 17,696 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Among them, there were 1,558 deaths attributable to the disease and 2,791 total deaths. All of the studies examined the effect of supplementing with vitamin C after breast cancer diagnosis and/or the effect of vitamin C obtained in the diet.
The studies showed that using vitamin C supplements was associated with a 19% lower risk of mortality and a 15% lower risk of dying from breast cancer compared to no use.
Comparison of high versus low dietary intake resulted in a 20% lower risk of dying and a 23% reduction in the risk of breast cancer mortality among women whose intake was categorized as high.
"To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to combine the limited number of published studies available on vitamin C supplement intake and dietary vitamin C intake and survival following breast cancer diagnosis," noted the authors.
Hammer Quick Tip
This news is a powerful scientific rebuttal to the claims that vitamin C supplementation increases cancer risk. A 7-capsule serving of Premium Insurance Caps provides 500 mg (834% DV) of vitamin C. Vitamin C-rich foods include red bell pepper (95 mg in 1/2 cup raw), orange juice (93 mg in 3/4 cup juice), orange (70 mg in one medium), kiwifruit (64 mg in one medium), and green bell pepper (60 mg in 1/2 cup raw).
