Medicines Antioxidants promote existing cancer

Study: Antioxidants protect cancer cells and double the skin cancer growth rate
Doctors discovered during a recent research that antioxidants protect cancer cells. In addition, they encourage faster growth of cancer cells. Some animals had been administered antioxidants. Later tests showed that mice doubled the metastasis rate of skin cancer. But this also affects human skin and lung cancer cells.
Antioxidants contain vitamins C, E and beta-carotene. They are ingredient in thousands of foods. So far it has been assumed that antioxidants protect our cells from damage. They defend our cells against so-called "free radicals". These are produced by our body and arise as part of the human metabolism. It is also possible to record "free radicals" over the environment. Thus, antioxidants were previously considered healthy and recommended for our body. So far it has been suggested that they represent a good prevention against tumors. Antioxidants remove "free radicals".

These arise when oxygen combines with certain molecules. "Free radicals" need electrons, these deprive them of living cells. Antioxidants help prevent this process. Their ability to bind aggressive chemicals makes them unable to damage cells and genetic material.

Cancer cells are protected by antioxidants and their growth is favored by them. (Image: fotoliaxrender / fotolia.com)

Antioxidants good for healthy cells, better for cancer cells
Researchers from the Southern Medical Center at the University of Texas have now discovered that antioxidants can also affect cancer cells. They accelerate the growth and spread of such harmful cells in the body. Thus, while antioxidants can protect normal cells, they also help cancer cells, and even better. The study results were published in the journal "Nature".

Study on mice brought frightening results
A study with mice, published in 2014 in the journal "Science Translational Medicine", showed unexpected results. When antioxidants were given to mice suffering from lung cancer, it accelerated tumor growth and even created new, more aggressive tumors. In other experiments, the physicians gave antioxidants to mice with skin cancer.

The daily dose was approximately equal to the amount recommended for nutritional supplements and medical applications. The experimental animals developed twice as many metastases compared to control animals that were not given antioxidants. Metastases are considered the leading cause of death in skin cancer.

Cancer patients with additional antioxidants die earlier
Researcher Professor Sean Morrison from the University of Texas said that clinical trials have also been conducted on human cancer patients. In these medics administered to the patient antioxidants. Some of the experiments had to be stopped because the patients with antioxidants died faster. The results suggest that cancer cells benefit more from antioxidants than normal cells.

Dietary supplements with antioxidants should be avoided by cancer patients
People without cancer certainly benefit from antioxidants, says Professor Morrison. It helps to reduce highly reactive damage. These could arise when oxidative molecules are produced by normal metabolism. Cancer patients should not supplement their diet with nutritional supplements if they contain large doses of antioxidants, the researchers added. Although previous studies have found that fruits and vegetables and a diet rich in antioxidants help reduce cancer rates, people who have cancer are strongly advised not to consume such foods. (As)