French scientists have shown that taking antioxidant
supplements, which include vitamins C and E and beta carotene,
may increase a woman's risk of skin cancer by 68 percent. The
risk of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, was four
times greater for women taking the antioxidant supplements. A
study released in the Journal of Nutrition on Monday examined
the relationship between antioxidant use and skin cancer risk.
The researchers looked at about 13,000 French adults, ages 35 to
60, half of whom took an oral daily capsule of antioxidant that
contained vitamins C, E, beta carotene and selenium. The other
half took a placebo. The researchers then recorded how many got
skin cancer over an average period of 7½ years. What they found
was that 51 of the women taking the antioxidants developed skin
cancer, compared to only 30 percent of those taking the placebo.
The findings were a surprise to many who believed that
antioxidants actually protect against sun damage that leads to
skin cancer. And some resea