title: Dietary carrot consumption and the risk of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies regarding the association between carrot intake and prostate cancer risk have reported inconsistent results. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize evidence on this association and to quantify the potential dose-response relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search of papers published in August 2013 was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane register, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, and the references of the retrieved articles were screened. The summary risk estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest versus the lowest intake of carrots were calculated. A dose-response meta-analysis was also conducted for the studies reporting categorical risk estimates for a series of exposure levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer associated with the intake of carrots (odds ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.70-0.97). In addition, the dose-response meta-analysis indicated that for each serving per week, or 10 g per day increment of carrot intake, the risk estimate of prostate cancer was 0.95 (0.90-0.99) or 0.96 (0.94-0.99). There was no evidence of significant publication bias based on Begg's funnel plot (P = 1.000) or Egger's test (P = 0.804).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carrot intake might be inversely associated with prostate cancer risk. Because of the limited number of cohort studies and substantial heterogeneity observed between studies in this meta-analysis, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted to confirm the findings from our study.
authors: Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Qingchun Road 79, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Yunjiu
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Shiqi
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Zhu
authors: Xianglai
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Xiangyi
authors: X
authors: Zheng
authors: Qiqi
authors: Q
authors: Mao
authors: Liping
authors: L
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D018552:Daucus carota; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity