Monday June 23, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new case-control study suggests that taking multivitamin and calcium supplements may help prevent breast cancer, the most common cancer that is diagnosed in over one million women worldwide every year.

In the study conducted in Puerto Rico, 312 women with breast cancer were compared with 524 without the disease for their consumption of multivitamin and calcium intake, DNA repair capacity and other parameters.

Women with breast cancer were found 30% less likely to take multivitamins and 30% less likely to take calcium supplements than women without the disease.

And it was also found that women with low DNA repaired capability were 50% less likely to take calcium supplements and 30% less likely to currently take vitamins, compared with those with high DNA repair capability.

The study suggests that vitamin supplementation may be an independent protective factor against breast cancer and calcium supplements may also protect against breast cancer because they were associated with high DNA repair capability, which was associated with low risk of breast cancer. (David Liu) (photo credit: wikipedia)

Vergne Y, Matta J, Morales L, Vargas W, Alvarez-Garriga C, Bayona M  Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Association With Use of Multivitamin and Calcium Supplements.  Integr Med (Encinitas). 2013 Jun;12(3):38-46.