A healthy intake of vitamin D can almost halve the risk of pancreatic cancer, a study has found. A survey of 46,711 men and 75,427 women found that taking the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D reduced the risk of the cancer by 43%.

Except for smoking, no other factors have been linked to pancreatic cancer. More research is needed to determine if vitamin D from dietary sources or the sun may be preferable to supplements.

The study, by researchers at Northwestern and Harvard Universities, appears in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.