Vitamin C, an antioxidantC. BICKEL, SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINEAntioxidants decrease the levels of DNA-damaging, cancer-causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are formed during normal metabolism. Yet clinical trials that evaluated the health benefits of antioxidants like vitamin E and beta carotene have not found that these supplements can prevent cancer; some have even demonstrated an uptick in cancer risk associated with antioxidant supplementation.
A team of researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has now shown that mice with melanoma fed an antioxidant had double the number of lymph node metastases and more malignant disease compared to animals with the same cancer who were not given antioxidants. The results, published today (October 7) in Science Translational Medicine, provide further evidence that antioxidants are likely not beneficial to the health of those with melanoma and other tumors and could, in fact, be harmful.
“Metastasis is really the most dangerous part of a cancer so we believe that melanoma patients and those who have an increased risk of this disease should be aware of the potential harm of antioxidants,” study coauthor Martin Bergo told The Scientist.
“This is a ...
