Monday Sept 7, 2-15 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study recently published in International Journal of Cancer suggests that taking natural vitamin C supplements may help lower risk of head and neck cancer.

The study actually found a link between high vitamin C intake from natural sources, not vitamin c supplements, and lower risk of the cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx and larynx.  It remains unknown whether taking vitamin C supplements may render the same protective effect against the cancers.

The study was based on pooled data from ten case-control studies with 5,959 cases and 12,248 controls participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium.

Specifically, intake of vitamin C in the highest quintile, compared with that in the lowest quintile was found associated with 46% reduced risk of oral and pharyngeal cancers.  High vitamin C intake was also correlated with 48% reduced risk for laryngeal cancer.

The inverse associaiton between vitamin C intake and risk of oral pharyngeal cancers were consistent among all studies regardless of age, sex, educaiton, body mass index, tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking status. (David Liu)

Valeria Edefonti, Mia Hashibe, Maria Parpine, Federica Turati, Diego Serraino, Keitaro Matsuo, Andrew F. Olshan, Jose P. Zevallos, Deborah M. Winn, Kirsten Moysich, Zuo-Feng Zhang, Hal Morgenstern, Fabio Levi, Karl Kelsey, Michael McClean, Cristina Bosetti, Carlotta Galeone4, Stimson Schantz, Guo-Pei Yu, Paolo Boffetta, Yuan-Chin Amy Lee20, Shu-Chun Chuang, Carlo La Vecchia and Adriano Decarli, Natural vitamin C intake and the risk of head and neck cancer: A pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, International Journal of Cancer, Volume 137, Issue 2, pages 448–462, 15 July 2015