Call it the beta-carotene quandary. Researchers are scrambling to figure out why foods rich in beta-carotene seem to reduce the risk of lung cancer while high doses of beta-carotene supplements seem to increase the risk.
One theory--that massive doses of beta-carotene keep people from absorbing other substances in fruits and vegetables that may be the real protectors--now has new support from a study from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
Discusses the development of 'modern paradigm' for nutritional supplementation. Replication of natural-growing food nutrients by laboratory scientists; Scientific crafting of individual nutrient...
Abstract: Deficiencies of antioxidant nutrients have been implicated in the etiology of lung and other cancers. However, most intervention trials with antioxidant nutrients have not shown beneficial effects, and some have indicated that beta-carotene may be deleterious.
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Looks at Prostate and Stomach Cancers
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC) is one of the randomized double-blinded reports of a few years ago finding synthetic beta-carotene in smokers led to an increased risk of lung cancer compared to placebo.(1) It's also the report that studied the effects of vitamin E at a remarkably low dose -- 50 IU per day.
This article reports that the research findings published in the August 2005 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition" indicate that avocados act as a nutrient booster, allowing the body to absorb sign...
