Medical News Summary: Low dose antioxidant may reduce cancer risk in men
About: Low dose antioxidant may reduce cancer risk in men
Date: 22 November 2004
Source: Reuters Health – Archives of Internal Medicine, Nov 2, 2004
Author: Charnicia E. Huggins
Medical News Summary (summary of medical news story as reported by Reuters Health – Archives of Internal Medicine, Nov 2, 2004): Researchers involved in a French study claim that increased antioxidant consumption such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, zinc can reduce the damage caused by free radicals in men and hence reduce the risk of cancer. This preventative effect does not appear to be evident in women. Free radicals are believed to increase the risk of cancer and heart disease as well as other diseases. Contradictory studies have shown that antioxidants provide no benefit or perhaps even cause harm. The French study utilized a study group of 13,000 people of which some were given low dose antioxidant to represent dietary intake. The difference in effect between men and women was explained by the fact that women generally ate more fruit and vegetables to start with and thus had higher levels of antioxidants to start with. In fact, many of the men taking antioxidant supplements had the same level of beta-carotene as women on a placebo. Overall, men who took the antioxidant supplements were less likely to die from all causes.
URL: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid=751&e=11&u=/nm/20041122/hl_nm/men_cancer_dc
Related Disease Topics: Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Heart disease
Related Medical News Channels: This medical news summary article refers to the following medical channel categories:
- Medication
- medication and cancer
- medication and cardiovascular disease
- medication and heart disease
- Diet
- Research
- research and cancer
- research and cardiovascular disease
- research and heart disease
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