Sources of vitamin D A study looking at men working in situations that expose them to high levels of sunlight has found that these men are less likely to suffer with kidney cancer than those who do not soak up as many rays. Although the study also examined women in the same types of occupations, a similar link was not found.
The research, published in medical journal Cancer, raises the question of the importance of vitamin D in preventing cancers. There have been other studies that suggest it could be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer and lung cancer.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, US, looked at more than 1,000 patients who had kidney cancer, as well as nearly 1,500 who did not. The researchers interviewed the patients and used the given information to estimate how much sunlight exposure occurred during work time.
Those men who were exposed to sunlight as a result of their occupation were between 24 and 38 percent less likely to get kidney cancer. Vitamin D is produced by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight, but certain foods such as herring, salmon and eggs are also sources.
First published March 10, 2010