title: Vitamins C and E, retinol, beta-carotene and dietary fibre in relation to breast cancer risk: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: Association between breast cancer risk and the intake of vitamins C and E, retinol, beta (beta)-carotene, dietary fibre, vegetables, fruit and potatoes was examined in The Netherlands Cohort Study, for 62,573 women aged 55-69 years. After 4.3 years of follow-up, 650 incident breast cancer cases were identified. After adjusting for traditional risk factors, breast cancer risk was not influenced by the intake of beta-carotene, vitamin E, dietary fibre, supplements with vitamin C, vegetables or potatoes. Fruit consumption showed a non-significant inverse association with breast cancer risk (RR highest/lowest quintile = 0.76, 95% CI 0.54-1.08). A small reduction in risk was also observed with increasing intake of dietary vitamin C (RR highest/lowest quintile = 0.77, 95% CI 0.55-1.08). For retinol, a weak positive association was observed (RR highest/lowest quintile = 1.24, 95% CI 0.83-1.83). Among subjects with a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), both beta-carotene and vitamin C intake showed a non-significant inverse association with breast cancer risk (P-trend = 0.15 and 0.16 respectively). Our findings do not suggest a strong role, if any, for intake of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, retinol, dietary fibre, vegetables, fruit and potatoes in the aetiology of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Assen
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Goldbohm
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dorant
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van 't Veer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sturmans
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hermus
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van den Brandt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid