> Prostate
cancer no antioxidant help
Antioxidants may not help most men avoid prostate cancer,
scientists report.
Overall, the findings do not provide strong support for
population-wide implementation of high dose antioxidant
supplementation for the prevention of prostate cancer, write the
researchers.
However, they note two possible exceptions: Men who smoke and men
whose diets don’t include much beta-carotene, the nutrient that
makes carrot orange.
Past studies haven’t settled whether or not antioxidants prevent
prostate cancer, the researchers write. Their study may not be the
final verdict, either.
The researchers studied more than 29,000 men for up to eight years
when the study started; the men took surverys about the foods they
ate and any supplements they took.
Of particular interest were the men’s intake of the antioxidants
vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.The researchers wanted to
see if consuming those antioxidants—from food or
supplements—affected prostate cancer risk.
The survey covered 137 foods.But nuts and vegetable oil—prime
sources for vitamin E—were generally not captured by the survery,
the researchers note. As for supplements, most don’t include all
forms of vitamin E.
None of the men was asked to change their diet or use of
supplements. Instead, the researchers observed which men developed
prostate cancer. They also adjusted for prostate cancel’s known
risk factors, including advanced age.
During follow-up, a total of 1,338 cases of prostate cancer were
identified in the group. Vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene
consumption didn’t appear to affect prostate cancer risk, the
study shows. But two groups of men stood out. Among current and
recent smokers, advanced prostate cancer risk was lower in men
taking vitamin E supplements. However, there was a trend for
increased risk of non-advanced cancer with increasing use of
vitamin E supplements in current and recent smokers. In men with
low dietary intake of beta carotene, prostate cancer risk was
lower with use of beta-carotene supplements.
The reasons for those findings aren’t clear. A journal editor call
s the data on vitamin E and smoking intriguing but stresses that
quitting smoking is a surer way to avoid cancer and many other
chronic diseases.
Past studies of vitamin E and cancer have generally have been
disappointing, writes the editor of the Harvard Medical School.
