Study finds vitamin A could help fight colon cancer

By: TC Newman

A new study out of the Stanford University School of Medicine gives hope in the fight against colorectal cancer.

Retinoic acid is a compound derived in the body from Vitamin A and has been known to help with inflammation. It is a very difficult substance to study because retinoic acid degrades quickly when exposed to light.

Stanford researchers concluded that mice with cancer had lower than normal levels of retinoic acid and found the same in human colorectal cancer patients. When researchers increased the level of retinoic acid in their subjects, tumors dramatically reduced in size.

Doctors suggest retinoic acid slows or blocks cancer development by activating a specific type of immune cell called the CD8 T cell. These T cells then do the hard work of killing off cancer cells. The following foods will add Vitamin A to your diet to help your body turn them into retinoic acid: beef liver, eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale.

The results of this study could lead to new ways to treat or prevent colon cancer.

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