Many Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency, a lack of the nutrient that can leave the body vulnerable to illness. Some healthcare professionals recommend taking a dietary supplement containing the vitamin, and now scientists have found that vitamin D may lower the risk of a form of breast cancer.

Researchers at the Georgetown University Medical Center recently announced that vitamin D supplementation lowered the risk of estrogen-positive breast cancer among both normal weight and obese laboratory rodents.

Their results, which they delivered at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, fall in line with a number of studies indicating that vitamin D may have anti-carcinogenic properties under certain conditions.

For instance, one study found that taking vitamin D reduced the risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer, though it did not reduce the severity of pre-existing cases of the illness.

Vitamin D is essential for cell processes throughout the human body. It helps regulate cell growth and calcium absorption, among other functions. The study’s authors say further research is merited into the nutrients effect on breast cancer.

Many dietary supplements provide the full daily dose of vitamin D in one pill.