Vitamin C could decrease cancer risk: UW study
Posted May 22, 2026 05:55:46 AM.
Last Updated May 22, 2026 10:14:42 AM.
Taking Vitamin C supplements after you eat could lower the risk of cancer, according to new research out of the University of Waterloo.
A new study dives into how the vitamin reacts with dangerous nitrates and nitrites, increasingly found in diets. This includes bacon and salami, and even fruits and vegetables grown using contaminated soil and water.
“While nitrates and nitrites play important roles in neurological and heart health, in the stomach, they can undergo a chemical reaction known as ‘nitrosation’ and form chemicals that many scientists suspect increase cancer risk,” read the research.
The research found that when Vitamin C is consumed with cured meats, either in supplement or food form, the risk of cancer is decreased.
Dr. Gordon McNicol is a post-doctoral researcher in applied mathematics and the first author of the study.
“Since at least the 90s, researchers have been studying the link between cancer and these compounds, with conflicting results. Our work suggests that the presence of dietary Vitamin C may help explain these inconsistencies.”
The hope now is to support future nutrition research, specifically when it comes to how and when this dangerous chemical reaction with nitrates and nitrites can occur.
The work has been published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.
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