Can antioxidants make cancer worse?
Can antioxidants make cancer worse?
Other studies indicate antioxidants can increase the risk of cancer and accelerate its progression. High doses of antioxidants could also interfere with some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, that rely on free radicals to damage and eventually kill the cancer cells.
What are the dangers of antioxidants?
High-dose supplements of antioxidants may be linked to health risks in some cases. For example, high doses of beta-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. High doses of vitamin E may increase risks of prostate cancer and one type of stroke.
Is antioxidants good for cancer patients?
Can antioxidant supplements help prevent cancer? In laboratory and animal studies, the presence of increased levels of exogenous antioxidants has been shown to prevent the types of free radical damage that have been associated with cancer development.
Can antioxidants cause disease?
However, Murr et al. (2005) have shown that too much antioxidant supplementation can increase the susceptibility to allergic diseases and thus asthma, by decreasing the Th1-type immune response and increasing the Th2-type response with immunoglobulin synthesis.
Should I take antioxidants everyday?
The Bottom Line. Antioxidant supplements are commonly considered healthy but can be problematic when taken in excess. They may decrease exercise benefits and increase your risk of certain cancers and birth defects.
How much is too much antioxidants?
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, doses above 150 IU per day began to raise the risk of death, with the risk rising along with the dose. Doses of 50 to 400 IU per day have been linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
How are antioxidants good for you?
Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when you’re exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation.
Is Vit C an antioxidant?
There is interest in the antioxidant role of vitamin C, as research has found the vitamin to neutralize free radical molecules, which in excess can damage cells. Vitamin C is also involved in the body’s immune system by stimulating the activity of white blood cells.