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# Veggies high in carotenoids may prevent breast cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/veggies_breast_cancer_0605130758/
- Published: 2013-06-05T20:57:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:09:51.000Z
- Description: Pooling eight cohort studies, Harvard and Brigham researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that women in the highest quintile for alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein plus zeaxanthin, lycopene and total carotenoids had 13% to 22% lower breast cancer risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Cancer, Avoiding Illness, #vivvo-import

Wednesday June 5, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study in Journal of National Cancer Institute suggests that eating vegetables high in carotenoids may reduce the risk for breast cancer.

Heather Eliassen and colleagues from Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, USA conducted the study and found high levels of circulating carotene, β-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin, lycopene, and total carotenoids were inversely associated with reduced risk for breast cancer.

The majority of previous studies have found evidence to suggest that carotenoids, micronutrients only found in fruits and vegetables, but not in meat and dairy products may reduce breast cancer risk. 

The current study meta-analyzed data pooled from eight cohort studies which comprised more than 80 percent of published data in the past on serum carotenoids and breast cancer.

Statistically signficiant inverse associations were found between breast cancer risk and alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin, lycopene and total carotenoids and their concentrations in the highest quintile were associated with 13, 17, 16, 22 and 19 percent reduced risk for breast cancer, respectively, compared with those in the lowest quintile.

For several carotenoids, their protective effects against estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer were stronger than ER+ breast cancer.

The researchers concluded "This comprehensive prospective analysis suggests women with higher circulating levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin, lycopene, and total carotenoids may be at reduced risk of breast cancer."

Orange-colored vegetables or plant foods including carrots, apricots, papaya, mangoes, squash, and sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin and green vegetables including spinach, kale, and collard greens contain not only beta-carotene, but also lutein. Lycopene is found in guava, tomatoes, grapefruit. (reporting by David Liu PHD)