Dietary carotenoids and risk of breast cancer in Chinese women.

High consumption of diets rich in lycopene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and total caroteinoids may diminish breast cancer development risk in Chinese women.

This study evaluated the association between the consumption of dietary carotenoids and the incidence of breast cancer in Chinese women. Using validated dietary questionnaires, researchers assessed the lycopene, lutein (zeaxanthin), beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin intakes of 754 Chinese women between the ages of 24-87 years. The breast cancer odds ratios of all the subjects were also calculated.

Researchers observed reduced breast cancer risk in subjects with higher levels of lycopene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and total caroteinoid intakes. Increased dietary exposure to lutein (zeaxanthin) and alpha-carotene had little or no effect on breast cancer risk in this study. The results of this study support the theory that diets high in lycopene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and total caroteinoids contribute positively to the prevention of breast cancer in Chinese women.