Prostate Cancer and Dietary Carotenoids

This population-based case-control study investigated associations between prostate cancer risk and dietary intake of the carotenoids beta-carotene and lycopene and their major plant food sources, including carrots, green leafy vegetables, and tomato-based foods. The study was carried out in Auckland, New Zealand, during 1996-1997 and recruited 317 prostate cancer cases and 480 controls. The authors found that dietary intake of beta-carotene and its main vegetable sources was largely unassociated with prostate cancer risk, whereas intake of lycopene and tomato-based foods was weakly associated with a reduced risk. These results suggest that in contrast to the findings regarding many types of cancers, vegetables rich in beta-carotene are not protective against prostate cancer. However, lycopene from tomato-based foods was found to be associated with a small reduction in risk.