Vitamin A intake Linked to Cancer Risk, Study Finds
Hanoi, Vietnam – A new study suggests both too little and too much vitamin A intake may increase cancer risk, challenging conventional wisdom about the nutrient’s protective benefits. Researchers at the Canon Global Research Institute in Japan, analyzing data from over 6,700 participants across four major Vietnamese university hospitals, found a U-shaped association between vitamin A consumption and cancer incidence.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, included over 3,700 cancer patients diagnosed wiht esophageal, gastric, colon, rectal, or breast cancer, and a control group of over 3,000 individuals hospitalized for non-cancerous conditions. participants’ vitamin A intake was assessed via survey.
Researchers discovered that cancer risk was elevated in those with the lowest and highest levels of vitamin A consumption, relative to an average daily intake of 85.3 to 104 micrograms. The strongest correlations were observed with esophageal,breast,rectal,and gastric cancers; no notable link was found with colorectal cancer.
“It is not necessarily good to eat a lot of vitamin A,” researchers stated. “Of course, vitamin A should be eaten enough.”
Vitamin A is crucial for vision, immune function, and skin health, acting as an antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasizes that recommended daily intake varies by age and gender, measured in retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to account for different vitamin A sources. Current recommendations are 900 micrograms RAE for men, 700 micrograms RAE for women, and 770 micrograms RAE for pregnant women.
Good sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, tuna, and beef liver.
