Vitamins A, C, E and β-carotene as protective factors for some cancers.

The importance of the antioxidant micronutrients vitamins A, C, E and β-carotene in cancer prevention is currently a widely debated human health issue. Generally supported by laboratory findings, and persuasively linked to the lower cancer risk associated with high intakes of fruit and vegetables, the hypothesis is now being tested in many prospective studies around the world. Increasingly, oxidative damage has been implicated in the etiology of several degenerative diseases including cancer, thus highlighting the need to ensure replete antioxidant nutriture as a central measure in preventive medicine.