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The first research linking vitamin D directly to cancer prevention shows the nutrient sharply reduces cancer rates in older women. Only 3% of the 1,179 women monitored while taking a combination of vitamin D and calcium developed cancer over 4 years, a 60% lower rate than those given placebos, according to the breakthrough American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study.

"No other method to prevent cancer has been identified that has such a powerful impact," said one researcher. Scientists have long known that vitamin D helps to maintain healthy cell growth, potentially helping to contain out-of-control cancerous cells. But the new study provides the first experimental link between vitamin D and a reduced risk of many of the most deadly cancers. (Read more cancer stories.)