A groundbreaking study by the University of Sydney has proven that a simple vitamin found in many common food products helps fight off non-melanoma skin cancer. Nicotinamide, an active form of vitamin B3, is found in meat, fish, nuts, mushrooms, and some vegetables. It is also found in Vegemite and beer, News.com.au reported.

In the study, more than 380 patients signed up. Half were given nicotinamide and the other half were given placebos. Dr. Andrew Martin, member the research team that conducted the study, said, "They remained on treatment for 12 months and had regular dermatological checks over that time period, and at the end we found that people that had been allocated to nicotinamide had about a quarter fewer skin cancers than those that had been allocated placebo."

The study's author, Dr. Diona Damian, said that the results of her study should now be added to the "slip, slop, slap" routine. This routine involves slipping on a shirt, slopping on 30+ sunscreen, and slapping on a hat. It must be noted that Australia is the world's skin cancer capital. Nearly half a million Australians get treated for non-melanoma cancer each year and over 500 succumb to the disease. Skin cancer also costs the Australian government more than $500 million per year, Periodic Post noted.

Dr. Damian added, "The incidences of skin cancer continue to increase as the population gets older so it's nice to find some way of helping to pare that back a bit, to put a handbrake on the numbers." Her research confirmed that only one form of vitamin B3 works against skin cancers. Other forms like niacin and Nicotinic acid were not included in the study, SBS reported.

In terms of Vegemite, Dr. Damian said that a kilo of it must be consumed per day to get the necessary amounts of nicotinamide. "You can't get more patriotic than that," she said. Preventive effects have proven that vitamin B3 is more than just a supplement to patients with skin cancer and that she and her team admit to taking nicotinamide 500mg twice a day too.

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