Could this common mineral lower the risk of cancer?

Amanda Ross
Editor of Nutrition & Healing

Let's do a little word association game. I'll tell you a word, and you say the first thing that comes into your mind. The word? Calcium. And I'll bet you said "bones"…or maybe "milk." You're correct on both counts, of course. But let me tell why there may be an even better answer…

Last month, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine of nearly half a million people indicated that calcium plays a pivotal role in protecting against a disease much more deadly than the one typically associated with calcium (osteoporosis). Researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that this essential nutrient also significantly reduces the risk of colon cancer.

They examined dietary questionnaires from 293,907 men and 198,903 women and found that the people who reported the highest calcium intakes had significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer than those with the lowest intake.

Specifically, men who reported getting around 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day had a 16 % lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than men who consumed only about 500 milligrams per day. And women whose daily calcium intake was on the high end fared even better, reducing their risk of colorectal cancer by 23 %. In fact, women who reported taking in up to 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day had a lower risk of developing ANY form of cancer (though, for some reason, the overall cancer risk reduction didn't hold true for the men in the study).

The researchers are cautiously optimistic about their discovery, but note that calcium may not be the only factor involved. Vitamin D may also contribute to the cancer protection found in this study, since the two nutrients are often consumed together. In fact, one of the researchers suggested that vitamin D, not calcium, may actually be the underlying protective powerhouse here. They're planning further studies to pinpoint the true standout.

But regardless of which nutrient comes out on top, the fact remains that, in order to keep your bones - and the rest of your body - in the best health possible, you need BOTH of these essential nutrients. For adults, Dr. Wright recommends at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, and 4,000IU of vitamin D per day.

"C"-ing is believing

Dr Jonathan Wright
Nutrition & Healing

Q: I drink orange juice every day, and only take vitamin C when I feel a cold coming on. My wife's been after me to take extra vitamin C, not just once but twice a day! I think I'm healthy. Is there any good reason for doing this?

Dr. Wright: Actually, there's a great reason to take extra vitamin C: If you don't, your body won't get any of this crucial vitamin at all. You see, every other species of animal (with the exception of primates, guinea pigs, and an obscure Indian bat) synthesises its own vitamin C internally from glucose. When stressed in any way or starting to feel sick, their bodies immediately start to manufacture greatly increased quantities of vitamin C to combat the stress or illness. But by some genetic defect, humans (and the few animals noted above) don't have this ability.

Mainstream medicine has spent a lot of time and money on treating all other sorts of genetic diseases. But most doctors still don't bother acknowledging, let alone correcting, this particular human defect.

Fortunately, it's easy enough for each of us to take care of this problem on our own, just by taking vitamin C supplements. The small amount of vitamin C present in our food - and in that orange juice you drink each day - is enough to prevent death from scurvy, but not nearly enough to produce maximum health benefits.

If you're still sceptical, consider the fact that research has shown that daily supplementation of vitamin C can increase lifespan in men by as much as six years and one year in women.