Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention; Do They Work?

Three large studies have recently concluded and these are the results. The first study included 35,533 men (50+) who had no prior history or current evidence of prostate cancer. The men were randomly assigned to Daily selenium (200ug), Vitamin E (400IU), both or neither.
During the 5 1/2 years followup,1700 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed, with no significant difference seen in cancer rates among the four groups. The all-cause death rate did not vary across the different groups.
The second study included 14,641 male physicians, randomly assigned to Vit E (400IU), Vit C (500mg), both or neither. During an 8 year followup, nearly 2000 men developed cancer (1/2 of them prostate cancer), and 1661 died. No difference in overall cancer risk, prostate cancer risk, overall mortality, or cancer specific mortality were noted in vitamin supplement groups as compared to the no vitamin group.
The third study (The Women's Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study), randomly assigned 8187 women with heart disease risk factors to receive vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, combination of these vitamins, or placebo. During a 9 year followup, 624 women were diagnosed with invasive cancer, and 176 women died from cancer. None of the antioxidant vitamins, singly or in combination, lowered the risk for cancer or cancer death.
There is a growing body of evidence that show that antioxidants vitamins fail to lower the risk or prevent death from cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
It is important for people who invest in these types of supplements to be aware that these vitamins will not lower their risk or protect them from cancer or death.