A new study has found that antioxidants like vitamins C and E activate a mechanism that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in cancer tumors, helping them to grow and spread. The researchers say their findings highlight the potential risk of taking antioxidant supplements when they’re not…

“We’ve found that antioxidants activate a mechanism that causes cancer tumors to form new blood vessels, which is surprising since it was previously thought that antioxidants have a protective effect,” said Martin Bergö, a new study’s author. “The new blood vessels nourish the tumors and can help them grow and spread.” It’s worth noting that there’s no harm in consuming normal antioxidant-rich foods in normal quantities, though.

  • @[email protected]
    1•1 year ago

    Considering that vitamin C fortified foods are extremely common, especially in food that kids would favour, will they stop being fortified or will they come with some cancer warning?

    • @ForgotAboutDre
      14•1 year ago

      This is cancer growth not cancer causing. So it’s only relevant to people that have cancer.

      Cancer is human cells. Generally whatever is good for humans is going to be good for growing cancer. The opposite is also true cancer killing chemotherapy and radiotherapy are very bad for your health.

      • @[email protected]
        2•1 year ago

        This is cancer growth not cancer causing. So it’s only relevant to people that have cancer.

        Fair point, but cancer is in the top 3 killers, so most people are probably going to be affected by overt vitamin C supplementation/fortification, would they not?

        Could you imagine seeing “WARNING: May promote cancer growth and mastitis.” on a can of frozen Minute Maid fruit punch?! 😱

        Generally whatever is good for humans is going to be good for growing cancer.

        Perhaps in vitro, but it doesn’t tend to work that way with diet, or else you’d have cancer worsening when patients eat healthful diets, and getting better when they continue eating a Standard American Diet.