Dietary intake of carotenoids and retinol and endometrial cancer risk in an Italian case-control study.

Low endometrial cancer incidence is associated with females who are habitual consumers of diets high in dietary carotenoids, such as lutein (zeaxanthin), beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta-carotene.

This study examined the effect of dietary exposure to retinol and carotenoids on endometrial cancer risk. Using validated food frequency questionnaires, researchers analyzed the intakes of retinol and carotenoids, such as lycopene, lutein (zeaxanthin), alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, of 1,362 female subjects between 1992-2006. The endometrial cancer odds ratio of each participant in this study was also assessed.

Researchers observed that subjects who regularly consumed diets rich in lutein (zeaxanthin), beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta-carotene had low endometrial cancer risk. Generous intakes of retinol, alpha-carotene, and lycopene were found to have little or no contribution to the prevention of endometrial cancer in this study. The findings of this study strengthen the evidence that dietary carotenoids, such as lutein (zeaxanthin), beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta-carotene, may have strong anti-carcinogenic effect on endometrial cells.