- Men who eat carrots three times a week are 18% less likely to get the cancer
- It is not known exactly why carrots are protective against prostate cancer
- It could be related to their high carotenoid content
12:00 EST, 26 March 2014
|
12:04 EST, 26 March 2014
They’re best known for supposedly helping us to see in the dark.
But carrots could also be a much more powerful force for good health, at least for men, new research shows.
Scientists have found that regularly eating the brightly-coloured vegetables appears to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by almost a fifth.
Men who eat carrots at least three times a week are 18 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer
Men who included carrots as part of their regular diet, eating them at least three times a week, were 18 per cent less likely to develop a prostate tumour, according to findings published in the latest European Journal of Nutrition.
The study, by scientists at Zhejiang University in China, pulled together the results of ten smaller studies from different parts of the world looking at the anti-cancer effects of carrots.
This type of research, called a meta-analysis, is performed when findings from lots of studies with small numbers of patients produce conflicting findings.
Some research has suggested carrots do protect the prostate against disease, others have found little or no benefit.
Scientists pooled data from ten studies and looked at the overall effects on cancer risk.
Most of the studies looked at cancer rates in men who ate carrots three to five times a week compared with men who ate them once a week or less.
When the individual results were
combined, researchers found carrots had a significant impact on disease
rates, even when they allowed for other factors that could increase the
men’s risk of illness -such as if they were obese.
Nearly
40,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK and
10,000 men die from it – the equivalent of more than one an hour.
It is not known exactly why carrots are protective against prostate cancer but it could be because of their carotenoid content. Image shows prostate cancer cells
The risks increase with age, with men over 50 more likely to develop a tumour, and there is a strong genetic element to it.
Average UK carrot consumption is more than ten kilogrammes per person – or roughly 100 carrots each a year.
It’s not exactly clear how carrots might exert their protective effect but they are known to be a good source of carotenoids – chemicals that give them their bright orange pigments.
The best-known carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and lycopene, have long been considered potentially powerful weapons against cancer by reducing damage to cells by oxidative stress.
In a report on their findings the researchers said: ‘We found a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer associated with a high intake of carrots.
‘Several potential mechanisms could explain the association between carrot consumption and the risk of prostate cancer.
‘But further well-designed studies are warranted to confirm our findings.’
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK said a healthy diet is crucial to preventing the disease but there is no strong evidence that eating carrots instead of something else provides added benefit.
‘While there are general health benefits associated with eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables, there is nothing to suggest that one particular vegetable is better than any other.
‘The known risk factors for prostate cancer are being 50 and over, having a close male relative with the disease or being of black ancestry.’
Cancer Research UK science information manager Dr Kat Arney says a healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of many types of cancer.
But she stressed: ‘Many of the studies included in this analysis were relatively small.’
or comment on this article
-
Blonde girl subjected to catcalls and abuse at Cairo…
-
Whodunit? Surveillance video of ghost throwing glass
-
WARNING GRAPHIC: Usain Bolt ‘daggers’ a girl in Trinidad
-
Three-year-old boy makes powerful plea for cupcakes
-
Penis pic accidentally shown on local news
-
Kayaker dragged for two hours by 11ft hammerhead shark
-
Scariest two minutes ever? Horror short will make you jump
-
Take a tour of one man’s dream ‘Dome Home’ built for $9,000
-
Watch the shocking transformations of drug abuse victims
-
Teen girls are suspected in college student attacks
-
Hypobaric chamber: simulating the effects of high altitude
-
Train ploughs through platform at O’Hare International…
-
Shocking reaction to blonde woman caught on video as crowds…
-
Mick’s farewell to tragic L’Wren Scott: Jagger daughters…
-
The deteriorating face of drug abuse: Shocking new video…
-
The old photographs that should never have left the…
-
‘Last joyride’: MH370 pilot upset over wife moving out and…
-
Have they FINALLY found flight MH370? French satellite spots…
-
Life after the Olympics: The Winter Games seem a lifetime…
-
‘I got the hug that I had wanted for the last 27 years’:…
-
Somali-born Captain Phillips actor Barkhad Abdi stopped by…
-
Mad about Max? Holland’s Queen Maxima proves to be a…
-
Fashion designers Dolce and Gabbana set to avoid fine and…
-
Geologists warned about Washington landslide 15 years ago:…
Comments (2)
what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
StevenXBrown,
Cardiff, United Kingdom,
10 minutes ago
I’d rather take my chances!
the way it goes,
yes, United Kingdom,
37 minutes ago
There was an article in here the other day that said that carrots do nothing for your eyes.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now