December 24, 1999 – Taking a beta-carotene supplement instead of fruits and vegetables has no protective effect against cancer and heart disease. A study carried out over 4 years with 39,000 women taking a beta-carotene supplement or a placebo has just shown that there was no significant difference in the cases of cancer and heart disease between the two groups.
We know that people who consume a lot of fruits and vegetables are, in general, better protected against cancer and heart disease. The question then arose as to whether this protection could also be granted by consuming a beta-carotene supplement.
So far, all the studies done have failed to show that beta-carotene supplements have a protective effect against cancer. Two American and Finnish studies even showed that smokers consuming a beta-carotene supplement were slightly more at risk of developing lung cancer than those who did not!
Researchers’ conclusion: Beta-carotene supplements do not have a positive or negative effect on apparently healthy people when it comes to cancer and heart disease. Another possible conclusion: a pill is not the equivalent of a fruit or a vegetable.
HealthPassport.net
View the research summary on Journal of the National Cancer Institute.