Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene do not protect against cancer

Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene have, once again, found to be ineffective at reducing the risk of cancer.

Recently published results of the randomized study of the antioxidant supplements on 7,627 women who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease revealed that those assigned to take the dietary supplements had a similar risk of being diagnosed with cancer and of dying from cancer as those assigned to take a placebo.

The authors concluded: “Supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene offers no overall benefits in the primary prevention of total cancer incidence or cancer mortality. In our trial, neither duration of treatment nor combination of the three antioxidant supplements had effects on overall fatal or nonfatal cancer events. Thus, our results are in agreement with a recent review of randomized trials indicating that total mortality was not affected by duration of supplementation and single or combined antioxidant regimens.”

Lin J, Cook NR, Albert C, et al. Vitamins C and E and Beta Carotene Supplementation and Cancer Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009:101:14-23.

News release: Vitamins C and E and beta carotene again fail to reduce cancer risk in randomized controlled trial. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. December 30th 2008.