Can Vitamin A Help To Prevent Colon Cancer?

Scientists have found a possible link between retinoic acid, a compound produced in your body from vitamin A and the inhibition of colon cancer. Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer worldwide.

Dr. Edgar Engleman, professor of pathology and medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, said that scientists have known for years that retinoic acid is involved in suppressing inflammation in the intestine. His team wanted to "connect the dots" to figure out how it relates to cancer development.

In the initial studies, published in the journal "Immunity", the researchers found lower levels of retinoic acid in mice with colon cancer. Then they discovered that when the intestines of the mice with colon cancer were given an extra dose of retinoic acid, the disease's progression slowed down.

However, "animal research doesn't always produce the same results in humans."

According to Dr. Engleman:

"Now that we've shown a role for retinoic acid deficiency in colorectal cancer, we'd like to identify the specific microorganisms that initiate these changes in humans. Ultimately we hope to determine whether our findings could be useful for the prevention or treatment of colorectal cancer."

Good Sources of Vitamin A:

The best way to "up" your vitamin A intake is through real food.

Eggs from organic, pastured chickens, milk products from organic, grass-fed cows, Liver from organically raised, grass-fed animals, spinach, Winter squash, carrots, wild caught Alaskan salmon, kale, sweet potatoes and organic Romaine lettuce are all good sources of Vitamin A.

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