Scientists figure out which products reduce risk of skin cancer

According to a new study, eating carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes can help prevent skin cancer. All these vegetables are rich in vitamin A, which is considered a key substance for maintaining healthy skin, JAMA Dermatology reported.

Specialists at Brown University (US) say that consuming large amounts of foods high in vitamin A can protect the skin from UV exposure, thereby reducing the likelihood of developing skin cancer by 17%.

Scientists analyzed the data and the diet of 123,570 Americans, documented for about 26 years. Nearly 4,000 study participants were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a malignant tumor of epidermal keratinocytes). At the same time, the risk of cancer in subjects was reduced based on the level of vitamin A intake. Products with a high content of this vitamin are carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet red peppers, broccoli, spinach, and beef and cod liver.

Vitamin A does not have such a protective effect.

Meanwhile, the authors of the study remind that an overabundance of vitamin A in the body can have a negative effect on health, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter